New engineering thermoplastic options for insulation systems

Technological advancements in engineering thermoplastics have produced materials with unique combinations of properties that are well-suited for current as well as future insulation systems. These products are based on polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), and polyetherimide (PEI) resins. The author presents a comparison of property/performance characteristics for traditional materials and new engineering thermoplastic resins, as well as a discussion of how these new engineering thermoplastic resins meet the requirements of UL 1446 for major and minor components. It is concluded that this qualification of UL-recognized components for insulating systems (UL 1446) represents the most comprehensive up-to-date effort to provide end-product manufacturers with products to meet the requirements of this industry. It reduces the time for end-product manufacturers to take their products to market from 12-18 months to just a few weeks, since all UL 1446 approval tests, including sealed-tube for minor components, have been completed. If a manufacturer wants to use a minor component that was not included in the approval testing, then a simple two-week sealed-tube test would be required for UL qualification. Additionally, cost savings associated with the completion of UL approval tests represent a significant benefit for users