BASF, the largest chemical producer in the world, is launching an engineering plastic, which it said is particularly suited for automotive parts that come into contact with hot oil.

According to the company, the new polyethersulfone (PESU) Ultrason E0510 C2TR shows very good tribological properties, high oil resistance and excellent dimensional stability also with broad ranges of temperature fluctuations.

“The injection-moulding grade with a ten per cent carbon fibre reinforcement can be used within a wide temperature range between -30 and +180-deg C. It is easy to process because of its low viscosity and therefore its very good flow properties,” it said in a statement. The new grade is now globally available.

Ultrason E0510 C2TR enables the manufacture of various car parts that come into contact with oil: oil pumps, oil control pistons, pressure valves and high-speed components in automatic or manual gearboxes. It can also be employed in applications for alternative drive technologies.

Due to its good flow properties parts with wall thicknesses of less than one millimeter can be injection-moulded without compromising on their stability, durability and oil resistance. The low coefficient of thermal expansion of 10.4 [10-6/K] ensures parts that are dimensionally stable and that can withstand rapid temperature changes from cold to hot without any damages.

Tests according to ASTM G137 have shown that the sliding friction performance outperforms the one of other tribologically optimised high-performance thermoplastics: even at high wear rates, test components show only low wear with virtually unchanged mechanical stability and chemical resistance.

The new material combines its tailor-made features with the proven properties of Ultrason: extraordinary chemical resistance, inherent flame retardance, high rigidity and strength combined with temperature stability over a large operating temperature range and outstanding hydrolysis resistance.