Cool Polymers Inc. (Warwick, RI), a supplier of thermally and electrically conductive plastics, has developed a l alloy that firm officials say is suitable for processing on standard Plastic injection molding machinery, in standard plastics injection molds. This is not l injection molding, but rather standard Plastic injection molding, of a l. The lone catch: the supplier intends, at least initially, only to process the material itself, on its own molding machinery, before later marketing the pellets.

Jim Miller, product manager at Cool Polymers, says the new material, dubbed Xyloy, is a l alloy with no plastic or polymeric components. Because there are “some machine specifics necessary that are similar to those required/recommended for specific polymers”, the firm plans to captive mold any parts using the material for the next 18-24 months. Miller explains that the ability to mold l alloys on Plastic injection molding equipment comes from the alloy composition and the machine specifics. Shrinkage of the alloy is less than 0.5%. Finished parts can be textured, painted, and powder coated. According to Cool Polymers, cycle times of nonporous Xyloy l parts are on a par with plastic parts. Tensile strength of the alloy is 325 MPa with yield strength of 250 MPa. Thermal conductivity is 110 w/mK.