Consumer Electronics

Integrated circuit technology has become so inexpensive that it has driven the diffusion of electronics into almost every personal and domestic electrical device, blurring the boundary between consumer electronics and appliances. The vast range of equipment available is growing constantly and places a wide variety of demands on the materials, among them requirements for light weight, compact dimensions and portability. Helping to meet these demands are Ticona’s high performance polymers including Hostaform®/Celcon® acetal copolymers (POM), Celanex® polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), Vectra® liquid crystal polymer (LCP) and Fortron® polyphenylene sulfide (PPS).

These materials are found in a diversity of uses, from gear wheels and lens mountings for CD players, to housing components for VR sets and connectors for multimedia card readers. They provide needed stiffness, even where thin wall sections are required, as well low distortion characteristics and vibration damping. In many cases, these materials can withstand the high temperatures encountered in reflow soldering, especially with the new generation of lead free solders. Vectra LCP is being used in CD and DVD players for this very reason, enabling the laser beam to be directed accurately. It is also the material of choice for the carrier of multimedia card readers in MP3 players.