ALPHARETTA, Ga., June 6, 2013–Radel® polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) resin from Solvay Specialty Polymers delivers high strength, toughness, and high stress crack resistance in a new high-pressure impeller developed by M.U.S. International, a leading Chinese manufacturer of high-performance miniature blowers and fans. The high-performance thermoplastic replaces competitive materials such as modified polyphenylene ethers (PPE), offering improved stress crack performance.
M.U.S. International also selected Radel® PPSU for its biocompatibility for use in a range of medical applications. The company’s blowers are used in medical products such as ventilators and Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machines for sleep apnea patients, along with fuel cells, air sensors, packaging machines, and other industrial uses.
M.U.S. International said it plans to use Radel® PPSU for injection molded impellers for most of its range of blower products. The company has a broad offering of small high-performance centrifugal blowers based on brushless DC motors for extra-long life. They also feature hall-effect sensors, high-quality dual ball bearings, and internal temperature sensors. An impeller can operate up to 60,000 rpm in some blower products, according to M.U.S. International. The impeller’s intricate design has defined features which maximize air handling and circulation.
“Radel® PPSU played a major role in improving the performance of our high-pressure impellers,” said J.R. Schenk, Principal of Encinitas, Calif.-based Fisaga Technologies, a U.S. manufacturer’s representative and technology development firm for M.U.S. International. “We were also very pleased with the level of support we received from Solvay both in the U.S. and China.” The impellers and blowers are engineered in the U.S. and manufactured in China.
The injection molded impellers range in size from 34-mm to 48-mm diameters. They consist of an impeller base and a top section which is ultrasonically welded to the base.Radel® PPSU is a super-tough thermoplastic with high heat resistance, exceptional hydrolytic stability, and excellent chemical resistance. It can withstand over 1000 cycles of steam sterilization without significant loss of properties. It is inherently flame retardant and is resistant to bases and other chemicals. Radel® PPSU is also compliant with ISO 10993-1 for limited exposure, non-implantable applications.
Solvay Specialty Polymers is a global leader in the development of sulfone polymer technology, launching Udel® polysulfone nearly 45 years ago.
