Saint-Gobain Seals Group’s Meldin® 7001 (unfilled polyimide) thermoset material, which is part of their Meldin® 7000 series product line, has passed the UL94 flammability tests this year (a regularly occurring distinction for many years). UL94 is a standard from Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL), a global independent safety science company, which covers tests for flammability of plastic materials for parts in devices and appliances testing.
Vertical burning tests were conducted on the Meldin® 7001 material to measure its flammability characteristics. This testing program determines the material’s tendency to extinguish or spread the flame once the material is ignited.
UL94 includes 12 flame classifications based on the results of small-scale flame tests. The Meldin® 7001 grade is incorporated into the six classifications where materials are commonly used in manufacturing enclosures, structural parts and insulators and has been UL listed with a “Plastic Recognition Yellow Card” (5VA and V-0). The UL Yellow Card denotes the material color and bears information relative to specific polymeric materials which a company has submitted to UL to be tested, and representative samples of the product have been evaluated by UL and meet their published and nationally recognized standards for safety. The listings (for plastic materials) are published in the "UL Recognized Components Directory," Volume II, Section QMFZ2, under the heading “Plastics.”
UL testing is important and valuable to end users of the material so they can determine the suitability of specific applications as well as save time and cost by eliminating the need for additional testing. As part of the Seals Group’s annual safety standards and material diligence testing, their Meldin® manufacturing site in Bristol, Rhode Island, is audited by a UL representative followed by material testing at their lab per UL94 requirements. Their other grades, Meldin® 7021, 7022, and 7211 (filled polyimides), have also passed UL94 testing with V-0 and 5VA ratings. Aside from being UL94 flammability listed, the Meldin® 7000 series have been qualified for numerous industry-specific as well as customer-specific specifications. This product line has been known to consistently perform in challenging applications ranging from aircraft and launch vehicle parts, automotive components to semiconductor equipment parts.
The Meldin® 7000 product line will be featured at the K Trade Fair 2013 (an international plastics and rubber show) in Düsseldorf, Germany from October 16-23. The Seals Group will be exhibiting with other Saint-Gobain businesses: Process Systems, Healthcare and Films, and also featuring Rulon®, their other polymer product line.
For more information on the Seals Group’s Meldin® 7000 thermoset materials, their other polymer and sealing solutions or the K show, please visit www.seals.saint-gobain.com or contact the Bristol, Rhode Island, site at 1-800-223-4966.