XANTAR™ MX 4500 for railway cladding
Flame retardant PC and PC/ABS blends have been used for long time in railway applications, for its ease of processing, design freedom and optimal balance in material
mechanical properties, fire safety and surface appearance. Especially the use of specific grades for in-colored sheet extrusion that show excellent behavior in subsequent
thermoforming allow for creating large complex shapes ideally for interior wall/ceiling panels, window frames, partitions and seat shells.
However after the introduction
in 2013 of EN 45545-2, a new European fire protection standard for railway vehicles (replacing former country specific fire regulations for railway), the fire safety
requirements were increased and existing material solutions could not pass this new defined tests anymore, especially not for the most demanding large surface applications
as set in requirement set R1.
For each application requirement set (R1 to R26), the new standard defines 3 different Hazard Levels (HL) and various specific fire tests based
on the so called FIRST method, which set a requirement for Flame spread, Ignitability, Rate or Heat Release, Smoke and Toxicity.
Mitsubishi Engineering-Plastics has therefore developed and introduced a complete new innovative polycarbonate based grade that is capable to pass the highest Hazard Level
(HL3) for the most stringent requirement set R1: XANTAR MX 4500.
Advantages of the innovative XANTAR MX 4500 material:
- Compliant with R1/HL2 of EN 45545-2 for most wide thickness range of 2 — 6 mm, as confirmed by various official test institutes.
- Extremely robust fire testing behavior, reducing the risk of losing HL2 rating by secondary processing steps or assembly.
- Superior thermal & mechanical properties; best ductility (strain to break & notched impact) in combination with high modulus.
- Excellent extrusion behavior and surface quality.
- Very high drawing ratio in thermoforming enabling high degree of complexity in shapes.
- Halogen Free.
In those situations, where our portfolio may not immediately meet your needs, contact our Technical Centre staff, to discuss the options beyond standard listings.
