Page 180 - Engineering Plastics Handbook

Polybutylene Terephthalate (PBT) 153

TABLE 7.10 Commercial Applications of PBT in Replacement of Other Materials
Application Replacing material Reasons
Metal replacement
Vehicle door mirror stay Glass-reinforced Light weight, rigidity, cost saving
Pump housing Glass-reinforced Light weight, rigidity, productivity
Motor case Glass-reinforced Thermal resistance, stiffness
Autobody panel PBT/PC alloy Light weight, stiffness, toughness
Bumper back beam PBT/PC alloy Light weight, stiffness, toughness
Windshield wiper Glass-reinforced Light weight, rigidity, design
freedom
Thermosetting
replacement
Sensor housing Glass-reinforced, FR Stiffness, high HDT, productivity
Lamp socket Glass-reinforced, FR Heat resistance, dimensional
stability
Ignition coil housing Glass-reinforced, FR Heat resistance,
electrical property
Circuit breaker Glass-reinforced, FR Rigid, heat resistance,
dimensional stability
Food tray PBT/PC alloy Chemical resistance, heat stability
Other replacement
Auto connector (nylon) Glass/nonreinforced Dimensional stability, heat
resistance
FBT/focus pack (PPE) Glass-reinforced, FR Chemical resistance, heat
resistance
Decoration film (PVC) Extrusion Heat resistance, surface
finish

its high rigidity, dimensional stability, low water absorption, electrical
properties, and chemical resistance. The ability to undergo modification
for various applications, combined with a range of reinforcement and
blend, has enabled PBT to be one of the most widely used engineering poly-
mers.

References

1. Domininghaus, H., Plastics for Engineers, Hans Publishers, New York, N.Y., USA, 1993.
2. Marechal, E., “Polyesters,” in Handbook of Thermoplastic Polyesters, S. Fvkirov, ed.,
Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, 2002.
3. Gallucci, R. R., and Patel, B. R., “Poly(butylene terephthalate),” in Modern Polyesters,
J. Scheiris and T. E. Long, eds., Wiley, New York, N.Y., USA, 2003.
4. Buxbaum, L. H., “Solid State Polymerization of PBT,” J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 35, 59–66
(1979).
5. Foltner, W., “Solid State Polymerization of Polyester Resins,” in Modern Polyesters,
J. Scheiris and T. E. Long, eds., Wiley, New York, N.Y., USA, 2003.
6. Robertson, E. R., Kim, J., and Nichols, M. E., “Poly(butylene terephthalate),” in
Polymeric Materials Encyclopedia, J. C. Salomone, ed., CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla.,
USA, 1996.