Polyplastics Group, a global leader in engineering thermoplastics, has announced the introduction of DURAST (R) Powder technology which transforms high-performance resins into fine powders, enabling the use of diverse manufacturing processes from prototyping to 3D printing and mass production.
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The DURAST (R) Powder technology successfully micronizes high-strength, high-molecular-weight resins — which were previously difficult to powder — into various shapes such as spherical or fibrous forms based on application requirements. In particular, high-performance resins like liquid crystal polymer (LCP) and polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) faced challenges with conventional grinding methods, such as particle agglomeration and reduced flowability. Using Polyplastics’ proprietary technology, DURAST (R) Powder achieves uniform powderization with an average particle size of approximately 1-100 micrometers for LCP. This powder exhibits excellent powder flowability and mixing dispersibility, contributing to process stability and improved quality.
Resins such as polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) and polyacetal (POM) pose significant challenges in terms of micronization due to their low glass transition when processed via conventional grinding methods. In the case of PBT and POM, the glass transition temperature (the temperature above which resin softens) is low, causing the material to easily agglomerate due to friction heat during grinding. The new technique has successfully enabled the powderization of these high-molecular-weight resins. When considering the thermal and mechanical properties of these resins and selecting powderization methods suited for each, the technology produces powders with particle sizes ranging from 20 micrometers to 100 micrometers with a narrow particle size distribution.
DURAST (R) Powder is suitable for additive manufacturing using 3D printers and powder sintering, enabling the production of complex shapes and high-precision parts. Additionally, it is expected to be utilized as a matrix resin for carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastics and as an organic filler or reinforcing material.
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