LANXESS: colorful safety connectors

Connectors made of LANXESS polyamide 6 for electric vehicle wiring harnesses

● Halogen-free flame retardant can achieve high flame retardancy

● Material and color have high thermal stability

● High strength and high toughness ensure stability

Shanghai, December 1, 2021 - The wiring harness connection is one of the most complex assemblies in an electric vehicle
.
The large number of joints used in it not only need to be colored in different colors to distinguish various functions and facilitate assembly and maintenance, but also need to have high flame retardancy and mechanical stability
.
The polyamide 6 compound Durethan BKV30FN04, a material developed by LANXESS for these connectors, has been tested and tested in numerous applications, including wiring harness connectors for electric vehicles from a European and American automaker
.
"Compared to polyamides that use red phosphorus for fire protection, our halogen-free flame-retardant polymers can also be dyed in bright colors such as orange (RAL 2003), yellow, etc.

" Lanxess expert Bernhard Stoll said
.
"The high thermal stability of both the compound and the color means that the different (colored) connectors can be easily and reliably distinguished over the entire life cycle of the car
.
" The connectors are produced by Amphenol-Heilbronn, Germany Manufactured by Tuchel Electronics GmbH
.
Amphenol-Tuchel Electronics GmbH is a US-based subsidiary of Amphenol, a leading global manufacturer of electrical connectors
.

Included in "All Colors" in the "Yellow Card"

LANXESS' polyamide 6 compounds have excellent flame retardant properties
.
This compound achieved class V-0 in the UL 94 flame retardancy test by the American testing agency Underwriters Laboratories Inc.
(test body thickness: 0.
75 mm)
.
"Our compounds are UL listed on the 'Yellow Card' for 'All Colors', also including yellow, orange and blue
.
This means processors don't need to color their products or subject their products to time-consuming UL listed
.
They only need to use our pre-colored compounds, which keeps costs down,
” says Stoll
.

Excellent performance

Wire harness connectors are distributed throughout the length and width of the car, bundling a variety of different in-vehicle power lines for electrical and electronic features such as power converters, battery charging systems, electric drives, infotainment systems, and more
.
The total length of the cable can reach several kilometers, which is one reason for the heavy weight of the cable harness
.
The complexity of the cable harness makes it an extremely expensive component, so the connector must never break during installation
.
"Our compound is extremely strong, which means the joint can easily withstand bumps or drops
," says Stoll
.
This thermoplastic is highly resistant to chemicals, which means its strength and stiffness are barely compromised when in contact with dielectrics or coolants
.
It also has excellent tracking resistance, with a CTI (relative tracking index, IEC 60112) value of 600 (orange)
.

Wide processing window

Durethan BKV30FN04 can be used as connectors in the fields of electric mobility and signal transmission technology and industrial engineering
.
“Over a wide processing window, our compounds have proven suitable for stable injection molding
.
The flame retardant additives in this material leave almost no deposits on the mold, which helps ensure long tool life and Efficient production
," says Stoll
.
In terms of occupational hygiene, polyamide 6 is easier to handle than other polymers that use red phosphorus for fire protection
.