Ticona Acquires Dupont LCP and PCT Products for Electrical and Electronics Applications

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

FLORENCE, KY; KELSTERBACH, Germany and SHANGHAI, China — Celanese Corporation (NYSE:CE) enhanced its advanced materials segment with the global Zenite liquid crystal polymer (LCP) and Thermx polycyclohexylene-dimethylene terephthalate (PCT) product lines from DuPont Performance Polymers.

“These two products broaden the company’s Ticona Engineering Polymers offerings, enabling Celanese to respond to a globalizing customer base, especially in the high growth electrical and electronics application segments,” said David Weidman, chairman and CEO, Celanese. Adding the LCP products will expand Ticona’s environmentally friendly electronics materials offering, according to the company, as these are halogen-free substrate materials. The acquisition will also enable Ticona to offer a portfolio for automotive suppliers, enabling sensor-equipped cars or future-oriented LED lighting applications.

DuPont Performance Polymers concluded that divesting Zenite LCP and Thermx PCT was in the best long-term interests of its portfolio and customers, added Diane Gulyas, president, DuPont Performance Polymers. The companies will work together on transitioning clients. Revenues of Zenite LCP and Thermx PCT were approximately US$40 million in 2009 during a period of global economic recessionary conditions. The acquisition price is not being disclosed at this time.

LCPs are used in switches, connectors, memory module sockets, in-play consoles, laptops, televisions, and mobile phones and other electrical and electronics devices. Ticona currently offers Vectra LCPs, highly crystalline, thermotropic (melt-oriented) thermoplastic polymers with low CTE for thin-walled applications. The Zenite application portfolio encompasses a broad range of components for electrical and electronic products, lighting, telecommunications, automotive ignition and fuel systems, aerospace applications, fiber optics, imaging devices, sensors, and more. Features and properties include high-temperature assembly of electrical and electronic components, suitability for SMT assembly (including lead-free solder reflow), good heat aging performance and retention of properties when exposed to heat, ability to incorporate exceptionally long flow paths, thin walls and complex geometries in the design, chemical resistance, flame retardancy, high dimensional stability, low mold shrinkage, low thermal expansion, good processing speed, creep resistance, and good dielectric properties over a range of temperatures. Designed for use in high-temperature applications, Thermx PCT are polyesters based on polycyclohexylene-dimethylene terephthalate chemistry. Benefits include chemical and temperature resistance, processability and dimensional stability.

View the free Lead-Free/RoHS Materials for Printed Circuit Board Manufacturing Webcast to learn in-depth about Ticona's green LCP products from Edson Ito, Vectra LCP Technical Marketing Manager, Ticona Engineering Polymers.

For more information about Ticona, visit www.ticona.com or www.ticona.cn (Chinese language). For more on the DuPont Performance Polymers business, visit http://www2.dupont.com/Our_Company/en_US/business/performance_polymers.html.

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