SABIC launches ULTEM™ DT1820EV resin to create dazzling metallization effects at a cost-effective price, enhancing the design of consumer electronics products

SABIC launches ULTEM™ DT1820EV resin to create dazzling metallization effects at a cost-effective price, enhancing the design of consumer electronics products

SABIC, a global diversified chemical company, today launched a new grade of ULTEM™ resin that can help enhance the fashion and beauty of the appearance parts of consumer electronic products, and its cost can be reduced by about 25% compared with metal materials. The new ULTEM™ DT1820EV resin has high gloss characteristics, which can achieve different decorative aesthetic effects such as spray-free and metallization using physical vapor deposition (PVD). To further improve the appearance, this polyetherimide (PEI) material has excellent surface hardness to help reduce scratches, and its high modulus characteristics can also avoid cracking of the PVD layer. In addition, it also has high fluidity, which can realize complex thin-wall designs, helping to miniaturize and lightweight the appearance parts of electronic products. Potential applications of this new material include smartphone camera bezels and front frames, as well as smart watch frames.

“The fast-changing consumer electronics market is known for its ever-changing design styles and fierce competition. Customers are always looking for new materials that can achieve a distinctive, high-quality appearance at a reasonable cost. To meet this demand, we developed ULTEM DT1820EV resin, which not only improves the design level of electronic product appearance parts, but also does not require the cost of traditional materials such as metal. This ULTEM material can achieve eye-catching aesthetic effects through secondary decoration processes using PVD, while customers can also benefit from the many advantages of thermoplastics in design and manufacturing.”

Colorful metallization with PVD

SABIC's ULTEM DT1820EV resin is ideal for sputtering PVD metallization processes. During the sputtering process, the material can effectively improve productivity due to its high heat resistance and good PVD layer bonding. In addition, its high hardness and low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) help avoid cracking of the PVD layer. Using ULTEM DT1820EV resin for PVD processing can create colorful, high-gloss surfaces comparable to metals while reducing overall production costs.

In addition, the PVD process is simpler than non-conductive vacuum metallization (NCVM), which is commonly used for surface decoration of glass-filled polycarbonate (PC) resin parts. For example, compared with NCVM, the PVD process can save three spraying steps. Parts using the NCVM process are prone to oil accumulation and fat edges, which is not conducive to achieving high-quality metallization effects.

In the application of smartphone camera decorative rings, after using ULTEM DT1820EV resin for PVD metallization, the customer believed that its metal-like appearance effect was better than that of glass-fiber-filled PC combined with NCVM process.

“Building on more than 40 years of successful ULTEM resin applications, SABIC has developed an innovative material solution that perfectly combines aesthetics and practicality. Our new grade is compatible with PVD processes, bringing new possibilities for imitation metal effects to consumer electronics designs. However, we did not stop at appearance. This new grade also meets customer requirements on a range of key performance indicators, including UV resistance and chemical resistance. The development of the new ULTEM DT1820EV resin reflects our tradition of customer-centric innovation. In the future, ULTEM DT1820EV resin will also be available in a renewable version certified by ISCC+ to help customers achieve their net zero emissions goals.” said Weiyun Ji, R&D, ULTEM Resins and Additives, SABIC.

SABIC’s new ULTEM DT1820EV resin is now available globally.