Outstanding aging resistance: New RTI rating for the molding compounds PLEXIMID® and ACRYMID®

• New classification for PLEXIMID® TT50 and ACRYMID® TT50 as high-temperature materials according to UL 746B of up to 130°C
• New RTI rating expands the potential range of applications in the electrical industry for optical components with high temperature requirements

The Molding Compounds Business Unit of Röhm GmbH has received a new RTI rating (relative temperature index) in accordance with standard UL 746B for the thermoplastic polymethyl methacrylimide (PMMI), which is marketed under the brand names PLEXIMID® and ACRYMID®.

PMMI is a material that is highly heat-resistant, and this property makes it suitable e.g. for use in the light guides of daytime running lights in modern LED headlamps. The material achieves the top RTI values across the entire portfolio of the acrylic-based molding compounds and provides a unique combination of very high transparency (91%) and high thermal resistance, withstanding continuous working temperatures of 130°C.

“In the electrical and electronics industry, we are seeing an increase in the demand for powerful and certified materials that display only minimal expansion even when subjected to temperature fluctuations and high continuous working temperatures, without any comprises being made in their optical performance,” explained Dr. Hartmut Elsässer, Senior Product Manager PMMI at Röhm. “Our brand PMMI is the perfect material for numerous applications involving high-performance LEDs because of its thermal stability.”

With the reclassification of the molding compounds PLEXIMID® TT50 and ACRYMID® TT50, which comes after one and a half years of testing, the material can now be used in new ways, with potential applications in the electrical industry for optical components with high temperature requirements, such as fiber optics, lenses, and secondary optics combined with high-performance LEDs. The UL certification is a worldwide standard and is often required for applications in electric and electronic parts.

The “yellow cards” for PLEXIMID®/ACRYMID® are listed under the file number E507751 for Röhm GmbH at Underwriters Laboratories (UL).