LATI has launched its LATICONTHER MI, a new family of LATI thermoplastic compounds specifically designed for the automotive applications of the future.
The compound combines mechanical strength and thermal conductivity, with the basic objective of the MI grades being to increase the thermal performance as much as possible without foregoing the mechanical features typical of glass fibre-reinforced compounds.
This challenge is made even more complex by the need to deliver solutions that are chemically and thermally suitable for the typical application condition of the modern automotive industry.
The LATICONTHER MI compounds are based on 35 per cent glass fibre-reinforced PA66, a formula widely used and much appreciated within engineering and design fields.
The thermoplastic matrix is stabilised to withstand chemical attack by the fluids typically found in the engine compartment namely lubricants, fuels and coolants.
Higher thermal conductivity performance is achieved by filing the basic composition with special additives designed to facilitate heat transfer without affecting the mechanical strength of the material, with the result being a compound with a tensile strength far above 100 MPa, and a thermal conductivity over ten times higher than that of traditional solutions.