Polybutylene Terephthalate

(PBT)
 Introduction
• Aliphatic-aromatic polyester family
• Semicrystalline (35-40%)
• Thermoplastics polyester derived from
– 1,4-Butanediol
– Terephthalic acid or dimethyl terephthalate
• Commercial production : US by Celanese in 1970
• Major applications: Automotive, Electrical, and
Electronics
• Major advantage : Fast crystallization and easy
processing
List of suppliers of PBT compounds
 Manufacturing of PBT

210°C

Ester interchange (EI)

Catalyst: Tetra alkyl
titanates
Polycondensation (PC):
Melt (250-260 °C)
or solid state (200 to 210 °C)
Chemistry of PBT
 Key characteristics
• High heat resistance
• Stiffness and hardness
• Excellent electrical properties
• Good resistance to environmental influences
• The surface of PBT is glossy and abrasion resistant
• High toughness at low temperatures
• low coefficient of linear expansion
• low water absorption
• High resistance to a wide range of chemicals, (fuels,
oils, fats and many solvents)
• Good friction and wear characteristics
• Good processability
 Key characteristics
• Tg: 30-50°C (depends on the degree of
crystallinity, annealing, content and type of
fillers)
• Tm: 222 and 232 °C (polymer preparation and
also on the annealing conditions)
• Starts to degrade above 250°C
• Specific gravity: 1.320 g/cm3
• Crystallinity : 35-40%, can be raised up to 60 %
by annealing
 Key characteristics
• The general characteristics lie between PA
and PET
Competitor for PA
• Lower production costs
• Outstanding physical properties
• Excellent chemical resistance
 Key characteristics
PBT PET
• Crystallizes much more • Larger production volumes
rapidly • Lower price
• Does not require
nucleating agents • Transparent
• Lower Tm • Competitor to PBT for
• Molded at a lower many applications
temperature
• Short cycle times
• Economical processing
• Translucent to Opaque
 Typical PBT Grades
• Glass-reinforced
• Mineral-filled
• Flame-retardant
• Blends (PBT/PC, PBT/PET, PBT/ABS)
• Impact-modified / Elastomer-modified
• Food-approved grades
 Filled grades
• Reinforcing fillers are selected based on desired performance and
part cost
Surface-treated short glass fibers
– Dia : 6 to 17 μm
– Length: 3 to 6 mm
– Dosage: 5 and 50 wt. %
• Higher modulus, Strength, and HDT
• Good resistance to creep at both ambient and elevated
temperatures
• Overall shrinkage will be decreased
Limitations
• Reduced flow
• Poor surface appearance
• Increase of part densities
• Anisotropy of the properties
• Shrinkage values are different in the flow and perpendicular
directions (lead to warpage problems)
 Filled grades
Mineral filler reinforced PBT grades
• To improve stiffness & dimensional stability
• To lower coefficient of thermal expansion
• To prevent anisotropy
• Increase the flexural modulus and strength (inferior to
fiber-reinforced compounds)
• Talc, mica, silica, clay, wollastonite, glass sphere, glass
flake, and milled glass fiber
• Barium sulphate (barite) is preferred filler for
producing very dense, ceramic-like PBT parts
• Filled with copper and tungsten is also used for
preparation of parts with very high specific gravity
 Filled grades
Glass fiber/mineral hybrid reinforced PBT
grades
• To balance
– Modulus
– Shrinkage
– Warpage
– Strength
Effect of Reinforcement on Properties
of PBT
Effect of Reinforcement on Properties
of PBT
 Flame-Retardant PBT
• Fairly combustible polymer
• Organobrominated compounds and/or
antimony trioxide (forms active flame poison,
antimony tribromide)
• Small-molecules flame retardants
– Decabromo diphenyl ether
– Bromo phthalimides
• Polymeric flame retardants (non blooming or
“non-bleed-out” flame retardants)
– Brominated phenoxy resins
– Bromo aryl acrylate resins
– Tetrabromo bisphenol-A polycarbonates
– Brominated polystyrenes
 Flame-Retardant PBT
• Another aspect of the burning of PBT is
dripping
• Lead to the fire spreading
• Dripping is a complex behavior that depends
on the
– Polymer matrix
– Viscosity
– Part design
• Low levels of fluorinated polymers (PTFE) can
significantly reduce dripping
 Flame-Retardant PBT
• A flame retardant PBT has
– Organohalogenated agent
– Antimony Synergist
– Fluoropolymer anti-drip component
• Nonhalogenated Flame retardant PBT system
– Phosphorus-containing oligomer
poly(sulfonyldiphenylene phenylphosphonate)
(PSPPP)
– Red phosphorus
• Physical properties are negatively affected
 PBT Blends/Alloys
• The main reason for PBT blending
– Improved performance
– Cost efficiency to meet actual applications
– Extend the material range with tailored properties
– Make possible new market applications without heavy
investment
• The second polymer is selected
– Processability
– Mechanical properties
– Thermal performance
– Warpage resistance
– Chemical resistance
• Melt Blending/compounding process
– Its simplicity
– Cost efficiency
 PBT/PET Blends
• Miscible blends
• Commercial Blends:
– Glass reinforced, injection molding grades
– Impact-modified (ABS)
– May contain some chain extenders (organic phosphates)
• Application: Household appliances
Benefits:
• Good surface appearance and gloss
• High strength and rigidity
• High temperature properties
• High resistance to warpage
• Good cost/performance of the blends
 PBT/PC Blends
• Partially miscible blend
• The extent of miscibility varies depending on
– The blend composition (10 to 60 wt. % of PC)
– The molecular weights of the polymers
Advantages:
• Improve impact and lower shrink
• Improves PBT paint adhesion
• Gluing ability
• Increased melt strength
Disadvantages:
• Reduce flow and solvent resistance
 PBT/PC Blends
• Ester interchange reaction between the blend
components
– Formation of copolymer
– Slowing crystallization but improving impact
strength
• Chemical/solvent resistance and modulus
depends on the extent of crystallinity
 PBT/PC Blends
• Three types of exchange reactions during melt
processing
– Acidolysis (reaction between the carboxyl end
groups of PBT with the carbonate groups of the PC)
– Alcoholysis (reaction between the hydroxyl end
groups of PBT with the carbonate groups of PC)
– Direct transesterification [Major reaction] (reaction
between the ester groups of PBT with the carbonate
groups of PC)
• Organophosphates (Prevents excess interchange
reactions by deactivating titanium catalyst
residues in PBT)
 PBT/PC Blends
Applications: (Impact modified PBT/PC blends):
• Injection molded automotive components
• Outdoor power equipment: Tractor shrouds
• Consumer goods: Vacuum cleaners, housings,
mixer bowls, salad tongs
• Telecommunication parts: Radio housings
and speakers
 Impact-Modified PBT Blends
Impact modifiers (20-30 wt. %)
• Ethylene vinylacetate
• Ethylene alkylacrylate
• Ionomers of the above resins (metal salt)
• Epoxy functionalized olefin (ethylene-glycidyl
methacrylate)
• Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)
• Core-shell rubber (reactive impact modifier): MMA-
styrene shells around butadiene or butyl acrylate rubber
(MBS)
• ABS copolymer (Reactive compatibilizer MBS can be used
to the extent of 10 to 20 wt%)
– Automotive interior parts
– Personal care products (Electric shavers)
– Business and household equipment (Printers, fax machines)
 Impact-Modified PBT Blends
Advantages:
• Impact strength
• Flexibility
• Ductility
• Surface appearance
• Processabillity
• Dimensional stability
• To decrease post molding shrink properties
 PBT/Polyamide Blends
• Immiscible at ambient temperature
• Reactive modifiers:
– Styrene-glycidyl methacrylate
– Styrene-maleic anhydride
– Epoxy resins
• Unreinforced or glass-reinforced PBT/PA
shows
– Improved chemical and thermal resistance
– High impact strength and toughness
Summary of PBT Blend Systems
 Applications of PBT
• Automotive
• Electrical/electronic
• Lighting
• Household appliance
• Medical and laboratory technology
• Sports and leisure
 Automotive

Steering wheel control switch

Booster module for start-stop systems

Windscreen
wiper
housings

Automotive Exterior Lighting Bezel

 Automotive
Headlamp housing

Truck bumpers Eurocargo by IVECO

PBT+PET blend
Headlamp housing
 Electrical/electronic

Electrical appliance motor housings

Socket combination unit housing (PBT/PC)

Double solenoid for
fuel pump flow-
meter encapsulated
in PBT
 Electrical/electronic
• This is installed between
the driver’s cab and the
engine compartment and
is the interface to the
central electronics,
located behind it
• subject to strong
vibrations but must still
remain extremely stiff
• must withstand
Electronic Junction Box temperatures up to 70 °C
 Electrical/electronic

Reset lever for circuit-breakers

SIM card holder

Frame of
Ignition coil printed circuit
housing board
 Lighting

• High heat resistance, up to

approx. 140 0C
• Good electrical insulation
properties
• High dielectric strength
• Glow wire test (GWFI) at
lamp sockets 960 0C
• UL94V-0 classification (wall
thickness 1.5 mm)
• Good rheological properties
• Low outgassing – emission
of volatiles

automotive lighting
 Household appliance

Insulation rings Oven Control Panel (PBT/PET)

Oven Door Vent Panel (PBT/PET)

Oven door frames
 Sports and leisure
• The center section of this bow,
in particular the handle, must
not distort under changes of
load as this will result in the
arrow not traveling straight
• Decathlon had made use of
glass fiber reinforced
polyamide 66
• higher stiffness and load-
bearing capacity under all
possible climatic conditions
• The modulus of elasticity is 75
% higher than that of a
sports bow comparable PA 66
 Sports and leisure
wakeboards - A new fun water sport
• The printed PBT film is applied
to the core of polyurethane,
wood or aluminum using an
epoxy resin adhesive
• Good printability and
bondability
• Good extrudability
• Very high impact strength
• Good thermoformability
• Very good chemical resistance
• High dynamic load-bearing
capacity
• High-gloss surface
Medical and laboratory technology
• Leukocytes can carry
infectious agents such as
viruses
• Free of toxic substances
• Biologically clean
• Provide exact and consistent
screening properties
• Very good adhesion of
leukocytes
• Suitable for a wide range of
sterilization methods (gamma
and ethylene oxide
irradiation, hot steam/air)
Medical and laboratory technology
• High purity
• Low extractable /
leachable properties
• Excellent chemical
resistance
• Exceptional dimensional
stability
• Good wear resistance
Inhalers
Reasons for Use of PBT in Various
Applications
 References
• http://www2.basf.us/webplasticsportal/cre?g
ui=1&dtitle=searchResult&dtext=1&objecttyp
e=ktn_application_profile&ktn_ap_product=U
ltradur&primarysort=title&secondarysort=sub
ject
• https://techcenter.lanxess.com/scp/americas/
en/products/description/55/index.jsp?pid=55