TAGS: Automotive K 2019
WACKER, the Munich-based chemical group, will present a new flame-retardant solid silicone rubber enhancements added to its product portfolio for rail industry at K 2019 trade fair. The new solid silicone enables manufacturers to produce rolling-stock components compliant with the R1 requirement set of the European fire-safety standard EN 45545-2.
In Compliance with EU Fire-Safety Standards
To allow manufacturers to produce large-format bellows and profiles in compliance with the new fire-safety codes, the Munich-based chemical group has added an additional grade of flame-retardant solid silicone rubber to its product portfolio. ELASTOSIL® R 771 meets today’s fire-safety codes and enables the manufacture of rolling-stock components in accordance with the R1 requirement set of the European fire-safety standard EN 45545-2. This makes WACKER to offer a certified silicone rubber compound approved for the new standard.
New Solid Silicone Rubber with Improved Fire Safety
Fire safety in rolling stock has long been governed by national standards. With the EN 45545-2 standard in effect and mandatory across Europe since 2018, the safety requirements that manufacturers of rolling-stock components must meet have become even stricter. ELASTOSIL® R 771 meets the fire-safety codes applicable for all rolling stock in the European Union since 2018.
In the development of ELASTOSIL® R 771, the minimum goal set by WACKER was to meet hazard level 2 (“HL2”). Fire hazard levels are derived from the operating and construction class and range from HL1, the lowest hazard level, to HL3, which is subject to the strictest safety regulations. Components made from ELASTOSIL® R 771 meet HL2 for the R1 requirement set. This is sufficient for most of the applications in rolling stock.
ELASTOSIL®- Suitability to the Applications
EU fire-safety codes are also being increasingly applied in public buildings. That makes ELASTOSIL® products suitable for a variety of applications in this area as well. Because silicones produce significantly less smoke in a fire and, unlike halogenated plastics, also will not generate the harmful gas hydrogen chloride, ELASTOSIL® R 771 is also especially suitable for use in parts of buildings that are highly exposed to fires, such as fire curtains, insulation, and seals for windows and doors.
Like its predecessor ELASTOSIL® R 770, ELASTOSIL® R 771 is a peroxide-initiated, high-temperature-vulcanizing (HCR) solid silicone rubber. It is currently available in Shore A hardnesses of 60 and 70. A version with a Shore A hardness of 50 is scheduled to follow soon.
Manufacturers of train parts will see no changes when it comes to handling the new silicone rubber. ELASTOSIL® R 771 can be molded using all conventional processes, extruded or calendered. It lends itself to the production of elastic molded parts and profiles and of panels, films and fabric-reinforced silicone sheets.
WACKER will be present in Hall 6 at Booth A10 at K 2019 plastics show to be held in Düsseldorf, Germany from October 16 to 23.
Wacker ELASTOSIL® Product Information
Source: Wacker Chemie AG