KetaSpire® KT-857, a novel polyetheretherketone (PEEK) extrusion compound created especially for copper magnet wire insulation in electric motors, has been introduced by Solvay, a market leader in specialised materials worldwide. The shift by OEMs towards greater density batteries and electric powertrains operating at 800V or more to solve consumers’ range anxiety served as the impetus for the creation of the specially developed insulating material.
Brian Baleno, Head of Marketing, Automotive at Solvay Materials, explains that greater magnet insulation, up to 180 microns, is often needed for higher voltage e-motors. “The polyimide procedure includes many application passes, which can potentially create faults that tend to amplify as the layers are added, as opposed to applying the insulation with a single PEEK extrusion layer. To the contrary, one ofThe largest difficulty with typical PEEK extrusion is achieving a sufficient level of insulation adhesion to the copper magnet wire. Both of these limitations are lifted by our KetaSpire® PEEK KT-857 technology.”
The new magnet wire PEEK insulating material from Solvay offers significant sustainability advantages in addition to enhanced adhesion in a quicker and more affordable monolayer process. In contrast to the enamel process, which uses volatile organic compounds, the extrusion of a single insulation layer uses less energy. In addition, KetaSpire® KT-857 PEEK produces an insulation layer that is more consistent.
Along with AjediumTM PEEK film and Xydar® LCP for slot liners, Amodel® PPA, and other high-performance e-motor solutions from Solvay, KetaSpire® KT-857 completes the line-up of these products. and Ryton® PPS resins for high-voltage connectors, connection rings and busbars, and Xencor™ long fiber thermoplastics for slot wedges.
