What is Hostaform® M90XAP® POM?

Hostaform® M90XAP® is an acetal copolymer with medium viscosity that offers excellent performance in injection moulding-like processes within industries such as the automotive industry, while producing low emissions [1]. Its high toughness and hardness, in addition to its excellent chemical and wear resistance, allow it to be a material of choice in application areas like the interior automotive market.

Here, you will learn about:

  • What acetal copolymers are
  • The Hostaform® family
  • The different features and properties of Hostaform® M90XAP®
  • How Hostaform® M90XAP® is processed
  • The different application areas of Hostaform® M90XAP®

Acetal copolymers and the Hostaform® family

Polyoxymethylene (POM), a family of engineering thermoplastics used in applications where high hardness, high dimensional stability, and low friction are required, is commonly known as acetal, or polyacetal. With its low friction coefficient and good wear properties, acetal is typically used in vehicle interiors, gears, and similar automotive parts. This semi-crystalline material comes in two versions, copolymer or homopolymer. Acetal copolymers have high toughness and hardness with very good wear resistance and surface finish [2]. A significant advantage over homopolymers is copolymers’ ability to accept reinforcement, which makes it easier to enhance their strength properties.

Hostaform® is a family of acetal copolymers provided by Celanese, which are able to maintain physical properties for a long period of time, even under challenging conditions. Its linear structure and highly crystalline quality allow it to have high mechanical properties, including creep and wear resistance, high strength, solvent resistance, long-term fatigue endurance, and high toughness.

Features and properties of Hostaform® M90XAP®

As a low emission acetal grade, Hostaform® M90XAP® exhibits outstanding physical properties, especially in areas where high toughness and high abrasion resistance are required. Its long-term performance, thermal stability, and processability are just a few of its many features that make it not only useful but preferred. It offers an exceptional resistance to strong alkalis, fuel blends, and solvents, in addition to its resistance to fatigue, creep, hydrolysis, and stress cracking. Here is a list of its key features and material properties.

Key features and properties of Hostaform® M90XAP®

Excellent chemical resistance

High toughness (down to -40ºC)

Good wear resistance and sliding properties

Low solvent absorption

High hardness and rigidity

Good stress cracking resistance

High fatigue strength

High creep resistance

Medium viscosity

Easy processing

Good heat distortion temperature (up to 100ºC)

High UV/colour stability

Processing and Applications of Hostaform® M90XAP®

Hostaform® M90XAP® is suitable for processing by injection moulding, offering top-quality performance. Injection moulding is a manufacturing process used in mass production of plastics and polymer-based materials. In this process, polymers are melted and injected into a mould that they take the shape of and are then cooled and solidified to attain the desired product. With its low cost, repeatability, scale-up potential, and low scrap generation, injection moulding is quite a common process in plastic production [3].

Hostaform® M90XAP®, with its hard, heavy-metal free, medium viscosity structure, is not only conveniently used in general purpose applications, but also recommended largely for the interior automotive market, in addition to its diverse automotive applications.

Sources

[1] “Outstanding resistance to wear, fatigue, creep, moisture, solvents and alkalis”, Celanese, [Online] Available from: https://www.celanese.com/engineered-materials/products/Hostaform-POM--Celcon-POM.aspx

[2] “Don’t sacrifice short-term acetal benefits for long-term performance and customer satisfaction”, Celanese, [Online] Available from: https://www.celanese.com/engineered-materials/products/Hostaform-POM--Celcon-POM/Homopolymer-vs-Copolymer.aspx

[3] T. Rogers, “Everything You Need To Know About Injection Molding”, [Online] Available from: https://www.creativemechanisms.com/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-injection-molding, 2015.

Quick statistics:

  • Melt volume-flow rate: 8 cm³/10min
  • Impact strength, Charpy notched: 6.4 kJ/m²
  • Melting point: 167 °C
  • Shrinkage: 1.8 %
  • Yield strength: 65 MPa
  • Flexural modulus: 2.56 GPa 

 

Click here for the full technical data sheet (TDS).