Evaluating XYRON™ Modified PPE Resin for Profile Extrusion

​​In electrical equipment such as bus ducts and busways, designers must balance insulation performance, flame retardancy, and weight reduction. Material choice directly affects design freedom, manufacturability, and total system cost.
Asahi Kasei’s modified PPE resin, XYRON™, is an engineering plastic that meets these performance demands in profile extrusion, even for complex cross-sections. The following overview explains profile extrusion and highlights the key features and advantages of using XYRON™ for extruded profiles.​​
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What Is Profile Extrusion?

Profile extrusion is a continuous manufacturing process in which molten resin is pushed through a shaped die to produce long parts with a constant cross-section.​​
Beyond simple shapes like tubes or flat strips, the process can create profiles with grooves, cavities, step geometries, and other intricate features while maintaining tight dimensional control.​​
Companies use profile extrusion for components such as electrical covers, cable ducts, insulating rails, architectural trim, furniture components, andother elongated parts that require consistent properties along their length.

What Is Modified PPE Resin “XYRON™”?

XYRON™ is Asahi Kasei’s proprietary modified polyphenylene ether (m-PPE) resin. Starting with an amorphous PPE base, the material is alloyed with other polymers and additives to tailor heat resistance, mechanical performance, processability, and environmental durability for a wide range of applications.

　　

Features	Description
1. Excellent Heat Resistance	Grades are available with glass transition temperatures from 90 to 220 °C, allowing parts to maintain shape and function in demanding thermal environments.
2. Flame-Retardant and Halogen-Free	High flame retardancy is achieved without halogenated additives, supporting safer and more environmentally responsible product designs.
3. High Electrical Insulation	The PPE structure provides high volume resistivity and outstanding electrical insulation performance.
4. Dimensional Stability and Hydrolysis Resistance	Low water absorption minimizes swelling or warping in humid environments. The material also resists hydrolysis under elevated temperature and humidity.
5. Lightweight	PPE has inherently low density, enabling lightweight design when replacing metals or higher-density engineering plastics such as PC.
6. Stable Processing Behavior	As an amorphous resin, XYRON™ allows consistent melt-temperature control and stable extrusion behavior.

Why XYRON™ Performs Well in Profile Extrusion

Flame-retardant, halogen-free materials suitable for profile extrusion are limited. While PVC is often considered, its higher density and halogen content can create design and environmental trade-offs.​​
XYRON™, being an amorphous resin, provides stable viscosity control and smooth extrusion processing. While amorphous polycarbonate (PC) is another potential candidate, PC typically suffers from poor hydrolysis resistance. XYRON™ delivers superior performance in humid and high-temperature environments, supporting long-term reliability for both indoor and outdoor use.

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Examples of XYRON™ Extrusion Profiles

XYRON™ can produce complex profile geometries with excellent dimensional consistency. The material is compatible with standard extrusion equipment, allowing manufacturers to run trials on existing lines without significant changes to tooling or process setup.
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Performance Comparison with Polycarbonate (PC)
In accelerated aging tests at 85 °C and 85 percent relative humidity for 1,000 hours, XYRON™ shows significantly less appearance change and mechanical degradation than PC. This difference is due to XYRON™’s strong resistance to hydrolysis and moisture-related property loss.

高温高湿下（85 ℃／85%RH／1,000h）での物性保持率を比較するとザイロン™は加水分解による外観変化・強度低下が小さくなります。

Potential Applications

XYRON™ is well-suited for profile-extruded components where electrical insulation, flame retardancy, and dimensional stability are critical. Potential applications include:

Using XYRON™ enables designers to meet required safety and performance standards while also achieving weight reduction and long-term durability.​​
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Profile extrusion provides design flexibility for long, complex components in the electrical and construction industries. XYRON™ supports this manufacturing method through its amorphous structure, halogen-free flame retardancy, low density, and resistance to heat and humidity. These characteristics open opportunities for high-performance extruded profiles that are difficult to achieve with conventional materials.
For more information on XYRON™ in profile extrusion, or to discuss prototyping or joint development, please get in touch with us through the form below.
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If you would like more detailed information, please contact us using the form below.