Ultramid Polyamide 6 for Fibers - Brochure - BASF Plastics Portal

Ultramid ®
Polyamide 6 for Fibers
Ultramid ® in the web: www.ultramid.de

BASF – the world’s leading
chemical company
With over 95,000 employees and close to 100 large
and a multitude of smaller production sites worldwide
BASF serves customers and partners in almost
all countries of the world.
The BASF portfolio comprises:
Chemicals (e. g. glues, intermediates, petrochemicals)
Plastics (polyamide and intermediates, engineering plastics,
styrenics, polyurethanes, biodegradable plastics)
Performance products (e. g. paper chemicals, textile and leather
chemicals, personal care and pharmaceutical ingredients,
aroma chemicals, nutrition)
Functional solutions (e. g. coatings for cars, construction
chemicals, catalysts)
Agricultural solutions (insecticides, herbicides, fungicides)
Oil and gas
How BASF shapes the future
BASF combines economic success with social responsibility and environmental
conservation. This means that BASF tries to find answers to
global challenges, such as climate protection, energy efficiency, nutrition
and mobility – a contribution to a better future for all of us and for
coming generations.
By providing the highest quality products, chemical processes, scientific
research, and technical competences, BASF is in a unique position
to satisfy customers with exceptional service. Listening to its
customers, BASF fosters partnerships that quickly transform requirements
into products which exceed consumer expectations. For that
reason at BASF more than 8,300 employees work in research and
development.
BASF and polyamides – a success story
As one of the largest suppliers of polyamide products worldwide,
the Performance Polymers Division is a core business of BASF.
The company produces polyamide and its intermediates in state
of the art production plants in Antwerp (Belgium), Freeport (USA)
and Ludwigs hafen (Germany). But the company does not only sell
polyamide under the brand name Ultramid ® , it also produces compounds
that are mainly used in the automotive industry.
2

BASF – the world’s leADing chemical comPAny
Since the 1930s German research has been leading in the development
of innovative polyamide products. Pioneer chemist Paul
Schlack changed the fiber world forever when he succeeded in
polymerizing caprolactam to polycaprolactam, better known as
polyamide 6.
Dr. Paul Schlack
invented polyamide 6
in the late 1930s.
Nowadays polyamide is part of our daily life. Garments of all kind
are made from this versatile product, as are artificial leather and
ropes, packaging material and carpets as well as fishing nets.
For most applications BASF has just the right type of polyamide.
Furthermore, BASF specialists permanently work on product
inno vations to find better ways to help their customers be more
successful.
Ultramid ® N-polymer is an example of a BASF product meeting
customers’ demands. After its introduction in the mid 1990s, it was
quickly established as a benchmark for the market. Unmatched for
quality, the Ultramid N-polymers set the global industry standard
for modern high-speed polyamides. For the future, customers can
expect further innovations from BASF, such as polyamides that are
easier to process, better to dye or longer lasting.
BASF all around textiles
Besides polyamide for fibers BASF offers a wide range of chemicals
for textile processing. For over 140 years, since the foundation
of the company, BASF has been a committed associate of the
textile industry – present over the entire textile valuechain. A lot
of BASF products help customers to be more successful – from
spinning to finishing. The wide range of textile chemicals includes
products and systems for sizing, pretreatment, optical brightening,
analog and digital textile prin ting, coating and finishing, as well as
dyeing auxiliaries.
www.basf.com /textile
3

Product portfolio
For high performance textiles:
Ultramid ® B 24 N-polymers
Allrounders with enormous variety:
Ultramid B 27 grades
Low viscosity Ultramid ® B 24 N-polymers are perfect for textile fibers.
BASF offers three different grades of pigmentation from perfectly
bright to natural looking full-dull. This allows superior quality textiles
for premium class hosiery and swimwear and also for high-tech outdoor
garments. The advantages of polyamide fibers like strength and
durability are combined with the wearing comfort of natural products.
Especially the high pigmentation of Ultramid B 24 NFD gives fabrics
a natural look and feel that can hardly be distinguished from cotton –
even more so when the fiber is airtexturized.
Applications which require a higher relative viscosity (RV = 2.7)
can be perfect ly produced with Ultramid B 27. For many years the
Ultramid B 27 grades have been the preferred choice for high-end
poly a mi de carpets. Characteristics of Ultramid b 27 grades are a
large color variety, robustness, longevity and recyclability.
Carpets made of Ultramid B 27 do not lose their resilience. They can
withstand even the toughest stress of the type encountered in places
such as hotels, airports and public buildings. They remain in excellent
shape for a long time and thus provide more living comfort.
Ultramid B 27 grades are also the material of choice for producers
of monofilaments or semitechnical yarns. Further on they can also be
used for demanding applications, like artificial leather, using bicomponent
microfiber spinning technology. Depending on the application,
BASF offers a bright or pigmented version.
4

Ultramid ® product portfolio for fibers
Ultramid ® B 27
RV = 2.4
RV = 2.7
Product porTFolio
Viscosity
Ultramid ® B 24 N
Ultramid ® B 24 NSD
Ultramid ® B 24 NFD
Bright Semi dull
Pigmentation
Full dull
5

From hosiery to outdoor clothes:
Ultramid ® B 24 N-polymers
BASF set a totally new standard when it introduced the new
Ultramid ® N-polymers. For the first time a polyamide was offered
that combined easy processabilty, brilliant and durable colors with
high strength in both fiber and fabric.
Today, customers require products that make them more successful.
Polyamides must excel even in critical applications at highest
processing speeds with outstanding yields. BASF Ultramid B 24 N-
polymers do just that, being decidedly better in terms of spinning
yields, fiber quality and low fault level in any step of the value chain.
This unique combination of well-defined properties ensures outstanding
performance when using Ultramid B 24 N-polymers. For
example, due to their chemical composition Ultramid polymers are
extremely forgiving and easy to process. This is crucial when spinning
challenging deniers at high speeds.
Built-in UV stabilizers eliminate the harmful impact of sunlight on the
polymer. Yellowing and physical degradation caused by UV radiation
exposure has become a thing of the past with BASF’s Ultramid N-
polymers.
The properties of Ultramid ® B 24 N-polymers
at a glance
Huge versatility in processing
High speed production
Outstanding spinning yield
High strength
UV-stabilization
Brilliant and homogeneous dyeing
Typical applications
Swimwear
Lingerie
Sportswear
Outdoor garments
Hosiery
6

From hosiery to ouTDoor clothes: Ultramid B 24 N-Polymers
The outstanding properties of the BASF N-polymer generation afford
advantages to the whole textile value chain:
Spinners benefit from highest yarn qualities at economical yields
even under challenging conditions like high processing speeds
and fine deniers
Warp knitters, weavers and circular knitters appreciate the high
yarn tenacity, uniformity and trouble-free processing properties of
Ultramid ® based yarns
Dyers and finishers are pleased by the homogenous and brilliant
dye shades achieved with Ultramid-based fabrics.
Consumers love the high quality combined with fashionable look
and natural feel of these garments.
Relative viscosity
Fig. 1: Viscosity build-up of Ultramid ® N-polymers versus conventional polymer
Yellowing index
2.75
2.70
2.65
2.60
2.55
2.50
2.45
2.40
2.35
2.30
2.25
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
N-polymers
Conventional PA 6
RV (start) RV (15 min) RV (25 min)
unexposed
after 40 hours
after 80 hours
after 320 hours
after 640 hours
N-polymers Conventional PA 6
Fig. 2: Yellowing index for Ultramid ® N-polymers versus conventional polymer [Xenotest]
Remairing tenacity [%]
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0 14 28
N-polymers
Conventional PA 6
Days of exposure
Fig. 3: Light stability of Ultramid ® N-polymers versus conventional polymer [Xenotest]
7

From carpets to monofilaments:
Ultramid ® B 27 grades
One of the key applications of our Ultramid ® B 27 products is the
manufacture of high quality floor coverings. Physical advantages
like high resistance to wear and excellent recovery properties as
well as easy-to-clean and anti-stain properties have convinced customers
all over the world. Environmental issues are becoming more
and more important: carpets made of Ultramid B 27 have a longer
lifetime and they need less energy during production.
However, carpets are not the only segment where Ultramid B 27 can
show its strength. More and more customers value the homogeneity
and extraordinary quality consistency of this product that make it a
perfect match for the exciting world of microfilaments produced with
the help of bicomponent spinning technology. Precision of hardware
and material is a must in this segment – no problem for Ultramid B 27.
The properties of Ultramid ® B 27 at a glance
Huge versatility in applications
Controlled level of amino end groups
Smooth processing
Typical applications
Carpets
Microfibers
Textile monofilaments
Semitechnical yarns
Besides microfibers this extremely versatile polymer allows almost
every fiber construction, from textile monofilaments to semitechnical
yarns of medium denier and tenacity.
15. OkV 85.7 μm
Filaments made of Ultramid ® polyamide under the electronic microscope
8

From carpeTS to monofilamenTS: Ultramid B 27 grADes
9

Properties and processing
Technical data on Ultramid ® product portfolio for fibers
Unit B 24 N B 24 NSD B 24 NFD B 27
RV (1% in 96 % sulfuric acid) 2.43 ± 0.03 2.43 ± 0.03 2.43 ± 0.03 2.70 ± 0.03
Moisture content [%] ≤ 0.06 ≤ 0.06 ≤ 0.06 ≤ 0.06
Extractables [%] ≤ 0.6 ≤ 0.6 ≤ 0.6 ≤ 0.6
Amino end groups [meq/ kg] 43 ± 2 43 ± 2 43 ± 2 37 ± 2
Ti O 2 pigment content [%] – 0.3 ± 0.02 1.6 ± 0.1 –
Color no. [ Apha ] ≤ 5 ≤ 5 ≤ 5 ≤ 5
Melting point [°C] 220 °C 220 °C 220 °C 220 °C
Density [g/cm 3 ] 1.13 1.13 1.13 1.13
Specific chip number [count/g] ~ 80 ~ 80 ~ 80 ~ 80
Bulk density [kg/m 3 ] 670 670 670 670 / 780
Pellet size [mm] 2 × 2.5 2 × 2.5 2 × 2.5 2 × 2.5
Pellet shape cylindrical cylindrical cylindrical cylindrical / spherical
Melt viscosity of Ultramid polyamides for fibers
Shear viscosity [ Pa · s]
1E + 3
1E + 2
Ultramid ® B 24 N at 260 °C
Ultramid ® B 24 N at 275 °C
Shear viscosity [ Pa · s]
1E + 3
1E + 2
Ultramid ® B 27 at 265 °C
Ultramid ® B 27 at 275 °C
1E + 1
1E + 2 1E + 3 1E + 4 1E + 5 1E + 1
shear rate [1/s]
1E + 2 1E + 3 1E + 4 1E + 5
shear rate [1/s]
Fig. 5: Shear viscosity of Ultramid ® B 24 N Fig. 6: Shear viscosity of Ultramid ® B 27
10

PROPERTiES AND PROCESSing
Certified quality of processes and products
Typical processing parameters of B 24 N-polymers
Quality management is an integral part of BASF’s corporate policy.
Customer satisfaction concerning products and services is an
essential objective of this policy. In all production sites worldwide
the Polyamide and Intermediates Business Unit of BASF has a process
oriented quality assurance system, which has been certified
according to DIN ISO 9001.
BASF’s quality assurance system for Ultramid ® polyamides includes
all stages, from development, production, packa ging and distribution
to marketing and sales. We ensure also the proper functionality and
further development of our quality management system by constantly
improving its procedures, proces ses and products.
Extruder heating zones
[220- 260 °C] [240- 270 °C] [250- 270 °C] [250- 275 °C]
Spin pump
Extruder output pressure
[80 - 120 bar]
Melt temperature
[260 - 275 °C]
Pressure before
spin pump
[50 - 100 bar]
Pack pressure
[110 - 160 bar]
Quenching air
0.4 m /s
18 °C
70 % rel. humid.
≈
≈
≈
Oiler pins
Preentanglement
[0.5 - 2 bar]
Main entanglement
[1- 3 bar]
GR2
4500 - 5500 m /min
130 -160 °C
GR1
4000 - 4600 m /min
30 °C
Winder
[4500 - 5500 m/min]
11

Note
The data contained in this publication are based on our current knowledge
and experience. In view of the many factors that may affect
processing and application of our product, these data do not relieve processors
from carrying out own investigations and tests; neither do these
data imply any guarantee of certain properties, nor the suitability of the
product for a specific purpose. Any descriptions, drawings, photographs,
data, proportions, weights etc. given herein may change without prior
information and do not constitute the agreed contractual quality of the
product. It is the responsibility of the recipient of our products to ensure
that any proprietary rights and existing laws and legislation are observed.
(October 2010)
® = registered trademark of BASF SE
Request of brochures:
KT / K, F 204
Fax: + 49 621 60 - 49497
Europe, Africa and West Asia
BASF SE
Polyamide and Intermediates
Canada, Mexico and USA
BASF Corporation
100 Campus Drive
Asia
BASF East Asia
45 / F Jardine House
KTI 0805 BE
67056 Ludwigshafen
Florham Park, NJ 07932
No.1 Connaught Place
Please visit our website:
Germany
USA
Central, Hong Kong
www.polyamides.basf.com
China