Vectra® LCP – versatile performer for baking pans

Things are hotting up on the baking front and it’s all down to a taste for Vectra^® LCP. In loaf tins, pizza pans and the stable base of the first all-plastic springform baking pan, LCP is already proving real competition to metal. And the success story continues: the new generation of soufflé pans shows the innovative design potential still untapped in this high-performance polymer.

Miniaturization and functional integration are by no means the only options that this liquid crystal polymer has to offer. Household goods manufacturers, whose ranges have increasingly short lifecycles these days, are also benefiting from the numerous advantages of the material. The high strength and quality of products made from LCP and their good resistance to temperature extremes are opening up promising areas of application. With its design and color versatility, Vectra^® LCP is an excellent candidate for rapid implementation of new trend concepts in the kitchen. These are very popular with consumers and so ensure the manufacturer’s competitiveness in a highly contested market.

Design freedom, color versatility and efficient mass production

The most recent example of this design freedom involves baking and soufflé pans for a wide variety of uses. Thin-walled design, fine details and individual coloration are typical features of the pans. A large selection of masterbatches can be supplied for existing grades of this Ticona high-performance thermoplastic. In addition, special colored formulations can be matched to customer specifications.

In contrast to other high-performance plastics, LCP permits easy, cost-efficient mass production by injection molding. Low mold temperatures and very fast cycles make it possible to produce large quantities per unit of time and so ensure optimum machine utilization. Other advantages of Vectra^® LCP for production include a wide processing window, very low melt viscosity and flash-free injection molding. By varying the surface texture of the mold, components can also be produced with different surface features as required without the need for any finishing work. It is therefore possible to produce smooth surfaces or a grained or patterned effect in one shot.

LCP – hot choice for use in the home, bakeries and the catering trade

For purchasers of these products, the exceptional service properties of the new baking pans are an attractive feature. Unlike metal or porcelain pans, they heat up more quickly and transmit the heat directly to the product being baked. 10 to 15 percent shorter baking times and lower oven temperatures are the result. After removal from the oven, the lightweight plastic pans also cool far more quickly than their metal counterparts. In addition, pans made from this high-performance plastic are suitable for both shock freezing and  microwave, fan or convection overs.

Vectra^® LCP contains no additives, such as plasticizers, and therefore complies with the required EU standards and is approved for food contact applications by the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration).