Many automotive, underhood applications stimulate high interest for replacement of metals by reinforced plastics. Plastic parts offer greater design flexibility, manufacturing cost savings, weight reduction, and noise reduction than their metal counterparts.
PPS has been used for many years in automotive applications. Ryton® PPS is highly suited for underhood applications exposed to high temperatures and corrosive fluids such as engine coolant, motor oil, gasolines, and brake fluid. However, many underhood applications such as fuel rails and intake manifolds cannot be easily manufactured by injection molding.
A new PPS compound has been developed for blow molding. This material will provide the designer with a material having high thermal and chemical stability, and the flexibility that blow molding offers.
This paper will discuss three major points for this unique use of Ryton PPS: (1) the material properties of blow molded Ryton PPS, including impact strength and heat deflection temperature; (2) the greater design flexibility offered with blow molding versus injection molding; and (3) the processing parameters required for the molding of Ryton PPS.