®

DuPont Engineering Polymers

Electrical/Electronic
Thermoplastic Encapsulation

Toroids from Standex Electronics

Solenoid by Dormeyer
Step Motor from Pacific Scientific

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Engineering Polymers ® DuPont registered trademark
Introduction Global Availability
Electrical coils and components have for some time With technology and production increasingly becoming
been encapsulated or potted with thermosets for protec- globally sourced, it is important to use encapsulation
tion from operating environments and to provide elec- resins that are available worldwide and are recognized
trical insulation and thermal dissipation. With their to internationally important standards, e.g., UL and
good electrical properties, mould flow characteristics, IEC. The DuPont resins discussed here are generally
and low cost, thermosets such as epoxies, phenolics, available worldwide and meet the leading national and
and thermoset polyesters were until recently virtually international standards.
the only encapsulation resins used in coil / component
encapsulation.
However, encapsulation materials are now shifting in
the direction of thermoplastics. This is occurring for
reasons of:
• productivity and component integration;
• better physical properties of thermoplastics in thin
sections compared with thermosets;
• extensive IEC 85 and UL 1446 Electrical Insulation
Systems recognitions for thermoplastics for encapsu-
lated motors, solenoids, and transformers;
• the virtual elimination of volatile organic compounds
(VOCs) generated in thermoset potting or encapsula- Fig. 1. Hydraulic cartridge valve from HydraForce. Coil form
in RYNITE® 530 (Foremost Plastic Products Co.). RYNITE®
tion. encapsulated solenoid produced by Warsaw Coil Co.

Environmental Considerations
Thermoplastic encapsulation processes use only solid
materials that become a melt when heated. The volatile
organic solvents used in varnish impregnation are not Cost Comparisons with Thermosets
present, so environmentally harmful solvent emissions On a weight basis, thermosets can cost substantially
are eliminated. Also, parts encapsulated with thermo- less than thermoplastics. However, any cost compari-
plastics come out of the moulds ready to assemble son between the two material types must be done on
without requiring the inherently “dirty” deflashing or the basis of “finished encapsulated part ready for ship-
trimming operations so often associated with ther- ment.” Savings found in faster moulding cycles, higher
mosets. The high-impact strengths of engineering ther- product yields, and fewer secondary operations gener-
moplastics in thin sections compared with thermosets ally favor thermoplastic encapsulation over thermosets.
also contribute to lower cost because there is signifi- This is particularly true in high-volume automotive
cantly less part breakage. component operations and in encapsulated coils and
When thermoplastic parts do break or for some reason components where brackets and connectors can be
are not usable, they can be ground up, remelted, and moulded-in during the encapsulation step as value-
used again in the moulding process. Many of the DuPont added features.
engineering thermoplastic resins used in encapsulation The inherently better toughness of engineering thermo-
have been approved by UL to be moulded using up to plastics used in encapsulation compared with thermo-
50% regrind. sets allows use of thinner walls (Table 1, page 3).

2
Fig. 2. Solenoid coil encapsulated with ZYTEL® glass-reinforced
PA66 nylon resins (ATR).
Fig. 3. Antenna coil for automotive auto-theft system.
Coil form and encapsulation in ZYTEL® 77G33 HS1L
(Standex Electronics).

Table 1 Comparative Impact Strengths of Selected Thermosets and Engineering Thermoplastics

30% Glass- 33% Glass-
Reinforced Reinforced
Thermoset FR PET PA66
Phenolic Polyester Thermoplastic Thermoplastic
Electrical Alkyd (Electrical) Polyester Nylons
Izod Impact J/m 15,5 17,1 53,4 91,0 107
ASTM D256 Dry as Moulded

The impact strength of thermoplastics is also a factor some thermosets transfer heat better than conventional
in the UL 1446 / IEC 85 Insulation Systems recognitions thermoplastics. Recently developed thermally conduc-
now required in many encapsulated solenoid, motor, and tive thermoplastics used in transformer encapsulation
transformer applications. Such recognitions are listed by are even better in heat transfer. The thinner walls and
thickness of the encapsulation layer. The required test- encapsulation layers made possible using thermoplas-
ing (see page 17) includes a vibration step that favours tics also help with heat transfer (see pages 13– 15).
the stronger thermoplastics over thermosets in the thin-
ner sections. Moulding and Tooling Techniques
Thermoplastics also generally mould faster than thermo- Thermoplastic encapsulation is basically an insert
sets. Cycle reductions of over 50% are frequently found moulding operation. The wound coil or electrical com-
in moving to thermoplastics. Thermoplastics are also ponent is inserted into the mould, and the thermoplastic
more stable in contrast to thermosets, many of which material is injected while lead wires or terminals are
have shelf lives of six months or less. Some thermoset clamped off from the resin flow. The object being
grades must even be refrigerated during storage before encapsulated can be held either with stationary pins
moulding. Thermoplastics are also more easily coloured, or hydraulic pins that are withdrawn before the melt
either through cube blending with concentrates or freezes. This latter technique was developed by DuPont
through full compounding. Some thermosets do, how- engineers to encapsulate golf balls with SURLYN®
ever, offer two advantages compared with thermoplas- ionomer resins and is now used extensively in the
tics. Epoxies, for example, can be used to impregnate encapsulation of sensors and transformers (see
thin-wire, high-voltage coils before setting up, and Figures 4, 5 and 6).

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While some encapsulation is done using horizontal Moulding machines that are convertible from horizontal
moulding equipment, the preferred encapsulation to vertical modes of operation are also available (see
moulding process is based on vertical clamp machines, Figure 5). This allows, for example, solenoid coil bob-
which use gravity to hold the coil or insert in place bins to be moulded in the horizontal mode and solenoid
during the moulding process. encapsulation to be run in the same press in the vertical
The use of shuttle or rotary table moulding presses with mode. In each case, care should be taken to size the
two or more lower mould halves leads to maximum barrel carefully to the shot size and the clamping pres-
productivity. While a device is being encapsulated at sure to part surface area.
the moulding station, an operator or a robotic device
can remove finished parts and insert coils at the load-
ing / unloading station(s).

Holding Pins Forward

Fig. 5. Vertical-clamp injection moulding machines are ideal

for encapsulation. Unit shown is located at the DuPont
Application Technologies Center, where it is used for
development and testing of encapsulation materials,
tooling, and methods. This unit is also convertible to
horizontal operation.
Holding Pins Retracted

Fig. 4. “Golf ball encapsulation” using hydraulic pins. As the Fig. 6. “Golf ball encapsulation” showing uniform wall sections
molten polymer fills the cavity, the hydraulic pins are achieved with the use of hydraulic pins (DuPont).
retracted, leaving behind a perfectly round, encapsulated
golf ball. This same technique is used in the encapsula-
tion of sensors and transformers.

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Tooling Productivity Tip
Tooling for encapsulated coils and components consists For faster cycling of bobbin moulds, we recommend
of two different types. The first is for the coil forms used core pins made of Ampcoloy* 940 copper alloy. The
in many encapsulated applications. The second is for core pins generally do not have internal cooling ; but
the encapsulation process itself. because Ampcoloy 940 conducts heat six times faster
In designing and moulding coil forms, great care must than tool steel, the pins usually run only 1,6 to 2,2 °C
be taken to produce fully crystallized products having hotter than the rest of the mould. This leads to shorter
uniform flanges that are tapered slightly for ease of cycle time than with core pins made of tool steel.
part ejection. Uniform flanges are important to help
safeguard against voids or distortion caused by the
shrinkage of the coil form during the encapsulation
process.
A modular type of mould can save time and expense
in making and modifying prototype bobbins. DuPont
engineers developed the design shown in Figures 7
and 8 using a mould frame from Master Unit Die Prod-
ucts, Inc. It combines a standard frame, side-action
mechanism and cooling system with provisions for
interchangeable cavity inserts having their own cooling,
side-action wedges and various other components that
differ according to bobbin size and configuration.

Fig. 9. Jim Patterson and Tom Boyer of DuPont Engineering

Polymers setting up an encapsulated coil moulding trial.

Gating
To minimize coil distortion, it is essential to ensure
equal pressure on windings by filling the mould cavity
through two or more gates (Figure 13).

Gate Design
The rounded-end design of tunnel gate (Figure 15)
Fig. 7. Modular mould for solenoid coil bobbins. is a necessity for successful encapsulation. It prevents
premature freezing of material at the gate, permits
effective packing out to compensate for shrinkage in
the relatively thick wall sections often used for encap-
sulated components, and ensures a good surface finish.

* Registered trademark of Ampco Metal, Inc., U.S.A.

Fig. 8. Modular mould for solenoid coil bobbins (continued).

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Venting
Good venting on the mould’s parting line ensures max-
imum strength in weld line areas as well as preventing
surface defects. It is also helpful to vent the runners to
reduce mould deposit.

Fig. 13. Modular mould for encapsulating a solenoid coil

in a vertical-clamp press (top view).

Fig. 10. Automotive engine temperature sensor encapsulated

with ZYTEL® glass-reinforced PA66.

Fig. 14. Modular mould for encapsulating a solenoid coil

in a vertical-clamp press (side view).

Fig. 11. Danfoss magnet valve encapsulated in CRASTIN® PBT

polyester.

Fig. 12. Electrovalve encapsulated with CRASTIN® T805 PBT Fig. 15. Gate design for encapsulation recommended by DuPont.
polyester (CEME, Italy).

6
Encapsulation Applications
Thermoplastic encapsulation is used in many applica-
tions that require some special manufacturing techniques
and materials of encapsulation. These include solenoids,
sensors, self-supporting coils, transformers, motors,
and electronic components of various types.

Solenoids
Solenoids are generally made by encapsulating coils
wound on coil bobbins (Figure 16). The number one
requirement for coil bobbins used in solenoids is that
they be fully crystallized, because the subsequent hot
encapsulation process can cause additional coil bobbin
shrinkage and distortion such as the “bubbles” shown Fig. 17. Result of encapsulating a wound coil bobbin that is not
in Figure 17. To achieve the full crystallisation needed, fully crystallized.
the typical minimum recommended mould temperatures
for coil bobbin moulding are 100 °C for RYNITE® PET
thermoplastic polyester resins and 80 °C for ZYTEL®
PA66 nylon resins.
Level or precision-wound solenoid coil winding is rec-
ommended whenever possible (Figure 18). This allows
smooth flow of the encapsulation material over the sur-
face of the windings. Random winding can cause flow
problems and magnet wire bunching except in those
coils using very fine wire.

Fig. 18. Smooth surface of level-wound coil eases flow during fill
of encapsulation mould and avoids problems of bunching
of magnet wire.

Taping wound coils prior to encapsulation is not neces-

sary and is not recommended. Also, it is important that
good quality magnet wire be used in all encapsulated
coils. Any defect in the coating of the magnet wire
used will be magnified by the hot melt temperature,
high pressure, and shearing action of the thermoplastic
encapsulation process.
The metal cans used in many cases with solenoids for
magnetic flux reasons are sometimes used as a “shell”
into which the thermoplastic encapsulant is injected.
Alternatively, the can may be included in the encapsu-
lation layer.
Proper termination of the wound magnet wire on pins
inserted into the bobbin flange is also important.
The encapsulation process can cause coil malfunctions
if terminations are loose.

Fig. 16. Cadillac load leveling system solenoid in ZYTEL® 70G33 HS1L
(top) being produced by René Miller and Joey Champion
of Multicraft Electronics (bottom).

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 Fig. 20. Double solenoid for fuel pump flow-meter encapsulated
in CRASTIN® T805 (Sirai).

Fig. 19. Appliance solenoid coil encapsulated with RYNITE® PET

polyester (Dormeyer).

The types and thicknesses of magnet wire enamels are

important for successful solenoid manufacturing.
For example, thermoplastic-overcoated, polyurethane-
enameled wire works far better in thermoplastic encap-
sulation than wire coated only with a single layer of
polyurethane. Also, the thermoplastic encapsulation
should be matched to the solenoid end-use environ-
ment. For example, in some automotive applications,
polyamides function far better than polyesters. Solenoid
terminals can be encapsulated in place using a pre-
moulded insert. The high strength of the engineering
plastics used in solenoid encapsulation help retain the
Fig. 21. Yumiko Nakaniwa and Hajime Shiozawa of DuPont KK
terminals in place as well as permit compact solenoids (Japan) testing the insulation resistance of encapsulated
to be made with encapsulation layers significantly thin- solenoids.
ner than is possible with thermosets.
Types of encapsulating resin used, moulding conditions,
and coil bobbin flange design are all key to manufac-
turing quality solenoids. In extensive testing at our
Yokohama, Japan, research facility, different solenoids
having various resin combinations of coil bobbin and
encapsulant are tested by first heating them at 80 °C for
an hour, immersing them for an hour in a 0 °C, 5%
NaCl solution, rinsing them off, and then measuring
solenoid insulation resistance values. From this work,
we are able to tailor encapsulation resins to meet
specific application requirements (Figure 21).

Fig. 22. Deltrol Controls solenoid with a board mounted bridge

rectifier chip encapsulated with RYNITE® 415HP.

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Our testing also shows that minor changes in the flange Sensors
design of solenoid coil forms can improve solenoid The rapid proliferation of electrical and electrical-
performance dramatically. For example, switching mechanical systems in automotive, appliance, and
from a flange design with straight ends to one with industrial applications has dramatically increased the
tapered edges leads to dramatically better adhesion demand for sensors. Sensors are used in such systems
between coil bobbin and thermoplastic encapsulant, to measure variables such as speed, position, tempera-
because the tapered flange tip melts more easily during ture, or fluid level. Many are encapsulated to provide
the hot encapsulation step than does a straight flange insulation and to protect them against moisture, dirt,
edge (Figures 23 and 24). or mechanical damage. An example is the wheel speed
sensor, shown in Figure 25, encapsulated with a glass-
reinforced PA66, ZYTEL® 70G33 HS1L. Automotive
sensors like this one used to require a two-step process:
potting the coil in epoxy, followed by overmoulding.
Today, the same part is encapsulated in a single step.
Note that the metal inserts in the mounting flanges are
moulded in. The cable is provided with a grommet
and the encapsulation mould is designed to support
the grommet and prevent flashing down the cable.

Fig. 23. Vertical flange.

45°

30°

Fig. 25. Wheel speed sensor encapsulated with glass-reinforced

ZYTEL® PA66.
Fig. 24. Tapered flange.
Thinner, tapered coil bobbin flanges improve solenoid performance Another major type of sensor being used in increasing
by melting more easily during encapsulation and forming a strong numbers is the “Hall Effect” or electronic sensor.
bond with the encapsulant upon cooling. The flange design shown This type of sensor is used in ignition and transmission
in Fig. 24 is far superior to that in Figure 23.
control applications as shown in Figure 26.
The primary challenge in encapsulating “Hall Effect”
Finally, solenoids used in appliances and some control sensors is to avoid damage or displacement of their
systems may have to meet both UL94-V0 flammability integrated circuit chips, other delicate components, and
and UL 1446 and IEC 85 Electrical Insulation Systems connections among them. In relatively simple sensor
standards. It’s important to recognize that both standards constructions, success has been achieved using con-
have thickness guidelines. Meeting these standards ventional polyester resins and slow injection rates.
requires that both coil form thickness and encapsulation The hydraulic pin configuration discussed (page 4)
layer thickness be taken into account. (See Table 3, in golf ball encapsulation is also used in encapsulating
page 18.) electronic sensors.

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 For encapsulated sensors having to take very high tem-
perature spikes, e.g., during soldering processes, both
ZYTEL® HTN high temperature nylon and ZENITE™
liquid crystal polymers (LCP) can be used. (Some
additional sensors are shown below in Figures 27, 28
and 29.)

Fig. 26. Typical “Hall Effect Sensor.”

Glass-reinforced (GR) PA66 resins are widely used

in sensor encapsulations. However, in more complex
constructions involving multiple components, crimped
connections, or other delicate assemblies, prototype
work has shown that (GR) PA612 can produce even
Fig. 27. Motor “knock” sensor encapsulated in ZYTEL® 70G25.
better encapsulated sensors than those encapsulated
with either (GR) PA66 or PBT polyester. The reason is
that the (GR) PA612 has a slower crystallisation speed
than either of the other two resins. It also has higher
flow and lower moisture absorption than (GR) PA66
and excellent elongation at low temperatures. The net
result is an encapsulated sensor with much better adhe-
sion between coil bobbin and encapsulation layer and
better resistance to thermal shock cycles.

“Wire friendly nylons”

The abrasion of magnet wire enamel during winding
or handling can open the way to electrolytic corrosion
of the wire. Given the right conditions of moisture,
temperature, time, and certain additives contained
in many thermoplastic resins, electrolytic corrosion Fig. 28. Wheel speed sensor for ABS system encapsulated
of any exposed conductor wire can occur, sometimes in RYNITE® 530 PET.
quite rapidly. However, as a practical matter, wire cor-
rosion is rarely an issue for sensors that use 30 AWG
or larger magnet wire because surface oxidation is
insignificant compared to the volume of copper that
must be corroded to cause failure. However, wires used
in many sensors are much finer, typically AWG 39 to
50, and these can be affected more easily.
To prevent this destructive wire corrosion, new DuPont
encapsulation resins called “Electrical / Sensor Resins”
have been formulated for fine-wire encapsulations.
They virtually eliminate the potential for electrolytic
corrosion of magnet wire with punctured coatings.
Both (GR) PA66 (ZYTEL® FE5389 BK-276) and (GR)
PA612 (ZYTEL® FE5382 BK-276) resins of this type
have been introduced for the encapsulation of sensors
and other fine-wire electrical components (see pages 18 Fig. 29. Temperature sensor for outside of car, encapsulated
and 19). in DELRIN® 107 acetal resin.

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Self-Supporting or Bonded Coils Toroids
A particularly noteworthy type of coil now being used Toroids used for power filtering applications are another
in thermoplastic coil encapsulation is the “self-support- type of coil well suited to thermoplastic encapsulation.
ing coil.” Self-supporting coils are just that: they do Conventionally potted with epoxies in either thermoset
not depend on an independent coil form for support. or thermoplastic cups, toroids encapsulated instead
Where feasible, assembly costs are lowered and manu- with engineering thermoplastic resins can generally
facturability is enhanced (Figures 30 and 31). be produced more quickly at significantly lower
The self-supporting or bonded coils are formed by costs. In the case of the Standex encapsulated toroids
winding a bondable magnet wire on a mandrel. The (Figure 32), encapsulation with ZYTEL® glass-reinforced
coils are then charged electrically to melt the adhesive PA66 or PA612 nylon resins is done in multiple-cavity
coating, compressed, cooled, and ejected from the tooling in less than a minute; epoxy potting in a thermo-
rotary head winder used in their manufacture. A major set cup can take up to 24 hours of epoxy cure time.
supplier of such coils is Alcoils located in Columbia
City, Indiana, U.S.A.

Fig. 32. ZYTEL® nylon resin encapsulated toroids for surface-mount

applications (Standex Electronics).

Motors
Motors are another area in which thermoplastic encap-
sulation is beginning to expand rapidly, particularly
in stator insulation. Being replaced are the tapes, films,
etc., used in conventional motor insulation. Complexity
of encapsulation can vary from the small Hansen stator
Fig. 30. Warner Electric’s “Mag Stop” clutch and brake solenoid coils shown in Figure 34 to the larger and more intricate
for riding lawn mowers encapsulated with RYNITE® PET. Cadac (Figure 35) and Pacific Scientific (Figure 36)
The clutch solenoid is wound without coil bobbins, with encapsulated stators. Using the steel laminate covers as
the wire insulation being heat bonded to retain shape
during encapsulation by Alcoils. an insert, the stator is made in a one-step overmoulding
operation. Encapsulation provides slot and end insula-
tion, termination holders, contour supports, and guide
posts for windings – all in a single moulding step.

Fig. 33.
Steve Fecanin
of DuPont Automotive
working on another
coil project.
Fig. 31. Warner Electric’s self-supporting clutch coil for automotive
air conditioners encapsulated in ZYTEL® 70G33 L.
Interchangeable mould permits use of the same tool
to encapsulate coils terminated with either leads
or connectors.

11
Fig. 34. Encapsulated stator coil replaces a tape-insulated unit Fig. 35. When used in a washing machine, this very energy-
in a hysteresis synchronous motor that operates timing efficient Cadac 1,3-HP (1-kW) DC motor eliminates the
devices, vents, and valves in heating, ventilation, and air need for a gearbox. Stator components in RYNITE® PET are
conditioning equipment. Both coil bobbins and encapsula- part of an UL 1446 Class F (155°C) Electrical Insulation
tion are in ZYTEL® PA66. Encapsulated coils withstand System.
3000 V versus a test limit of 2200 V for the taped coils
being replaced (Hansen Corp.).

Fig. 36. Key to the Pacific Scientific step motor encapsulation is the replacement of the aluminum rear end bell, an 8-pin connector and
epoxy potting with RYNITE® 530 polyester in one moulding operation. This thermoplastic encapsulation also eliminates eight
connectors and a circuit board, reduces production time from the 2 hours spent on epoxy potting to 45 seconds and forms an end
bell that runs significantly cooler than the aluminum end bell used before.

12
UL flammability and insulation system recognitions are fully encapsulated with RYNITE® FR530, we found that
also as important in motors as they are in transformers. the operating temperatures for the encapsulated trans-
DuPont qualifies all of its open UL 1446 insulation former were 10 °C lower than those for the potted
systems using motorettes so that the results are applic- transformer. By adding a layer of thermally conductive
able to both motors and transformers. Encapsulated polyester resin containing carbon, we were able to
insulation systems are qualified using encapsulated reduce the transformer operating temperature yet
coils for use in both solenoids and motors (see UL 1446 another 14 °C.
insulation systems, page 17).

Transformers and Lighting Chokes

Encapsulating transformers and lighting chokes with
thermoplastics is basically the same as for solenoids
and sensors and generally follows the same principles.
As in the encapsulation of solenoids and sensors, trans-
former connectors or terminals can be moulded in. Coil
forms with stepped configurations or the usual tapered
flanges are used to ensure a secure bond with the
encapsulation material, and coil windings are wound
smooth to ease thermoplastic flow during encapsula-
tion. Differences found in transformer encapsulation
compared with the others include the large size of
some of the encapsulated transformers, the use of con-
ductive resins to remove heat from the coils / lamina-
tions, and the use of thermoplastic compression mould-
ing compositions to encapsulate transformers larger
than 3 kVA. RYNITE® thermoplastic PET polyesters are
generally used in transformer encapsulation because
continuously operating transformers require encapsula- Fig. 37. This example from U.S. Patent 5,236,779 to DuPont shows
tion resins having higher relative thermal indices (RTI) the effect on transformer operating temperature by first
than those of polyamides. encapsulating with RYNITE® PET polyester and then
overmoulding that with a thermally conductive RYNITE®
While transformers and lighting chokes have been containing carbon.
encapsulated with potting thermosets for years, the same
needs for higher productivity, cleaner environmental
processing, and better product designs driving the
thermoplastic encapsulation of sensors and solenoids
are also applicable here. The growing importance of
UL 1446 insulation system recognitions is also a driv-
ing force, because thermoplastics are able to achieve
such recognitions at thinner encapsulation thicknesses
than are possible using thermosets. Thermoplastic
encapsulation also leads to a better locking of the
lamination plates and less noise than can be achieved
with thermosets.
We divide encapsulated transformers into three classes,
based on size: 0 to 500 VA, 500 VA to 3 kVA, and 3 to
>100 kVA.

0 to 500 VA
These are relatively small transformers that are encap-
sulated just like sensors and solenoids using conven-
tional thermoplastics and moulding techniques. A good
example is shown in Figures 37 and 38 from DuPont
U.S. Patent 5,236,779. In comparing small, epoxy-pot-
ted 20–50 VA transformers with the same transformer Fig. 38. Cross section of the transformer above.

13
While heat transfer through the RYNITE® PET polyesters 500 VA to 3 kVA
is rather low at about 0,23 W/ m-K, Philips found in
Transformers of this size can be encapsulated through
1988 that replacing the PA 66 encapsulating their 250 W
injection moulding; however, heat buildup begins to
and 400 W lighting chokes with RYNITE® 935 still
become a problem. One possible solution here is the
resulted in a 2–3 °C lower heat rise (Figure 41).
use of conductive thermoplastics such as RYNITE®
To minimize the unit heat rise further, Philips lighting
CR503 PET polyester which has a thermal conductivity
chokes are encapsulated only on five faces. The
of 1,5 W/ m-K, some six times that of normal RYNITE®.
exposed laminations on the base face are attached
Because the conductivity is enhanced through selected
to the metal base plate to maximize heat transfer.
carbon additives, these compositions are electrically
conductive as well. Therefore, a transformer encapsu-
lated with this resin has to be insulated electrically in
various areas before overmoulding with the conductive
layer. This is illustrated in Figure 38. Note, too, the use
of a three-flange coil bobbin with the tapered flanges
used to get a good bond with the insulating encapsula-
tion layer of RYNITE® FR530 PET polyester (white).
Resin selection for transformer encapsulation is parti-
cularly important because of product requirements
involving heat transfer, thermal cycling, insulation sys-
tems recognitions, and long-term thermal stability. In
addition, if both conductive and insulating resin layers
are used, the interface between the layers must be void-
free for optimum heat transfer. These requirements
favor the polyesters over polyamides for transformer
encapsulation.
Fig. 39. Rakesh Puri, DuPont Americas Encapsulation Leader,
planning another project.

Fig. 41. Philips lighting choke transformers (250 and 400 W)

Fig. 40. Valentine Technologies Class II transformer with coil for gas discharge lighting encapsulated in RYNITE® 935,
bobbins and encapsulation in RYNITE® FR 530 polyester. a PET polyester with glass and mineral reinforcement.

14
 Also, a 3 kVA transformer contains 20 kg of coils and
laminates and requires 2 kg of thermoplastic encapsu-
lation resin. Dealing with this size of shot in injection
moulding requires prohibitive investments in both tool-
ing and moulding equipment. In addition, experiments
carried out at DuPont show that it is unlikely that, for
this size transformer, injection moulded encapsulation
layers can survive heat cycles to 200 °C without crack-
ing.
In order to fulfill these requirements, DuPont has
developed a proprietary thermoplastic, compression
mouldable composite sheet (MCS) approach to the
encapsulation of large transformers. In the thermo-
Fig. 42. A 400-ton compression moulding press at DuPont’s Appli- plastic encapsulated transformer concept shown in
cation Technologies Center (ATC) holding a mould and Figure 43, the transformer is overmoulded with a layer
a 3 kVA transformer being encapsulated with SC 125 of electrically insulating, thermoplastic SC 140 and
mouldable composite sheet. (See U.S. Patents 5,236,779 a layer of thermally / electrically conductive SC 500.
and 5,338,602 to DuPont).
Properties of the DuPont thermoplastic MCS materials
are shown in Table 2.

3 to >100 kVA
The thermoplastic encapsulation of larger transformers
(3 to >100 kVA) is particularly challenging for a variety
of reasons. Incumbent dry-type transformers of this
size go through heat cycles up to 200 °C. Therefore,
any thermoplastic encapsulation layer of such a trans-
former has to be able to withstand significant thermal
cycling without cracking and be able to dissipate heat.

Metal Core

SC 125 Coil Form Fig. 44. DuPont Distribution Transformer Encapsulation Team of
Bob Ward, Dr. Lana Sheer, and Gary Kozielski examine an
SC 500 encapsulated transformer and the ZYTEL® HTN coil
Wire Windings with bobbin from Miles Platts that goes into it.
NOMEX®‚ Aramid Fiber
Paper Interlayers
SC 140 (Insulation layer)
Overmoulded with
Thermally Conductive
SC 500

Fig. 43. Concept drawing of a thermoplastic encapsulated distri-

bution transformer. Such transformers in the 100 kVA
range are now under development.

15
Table 2 DuPont Mouldable Composite Sheet Preliminary Physical Properties (23°C)
Property SC 125 SC 140 SC 500
Thermal Conductivity (W/m-K) 0,3 0,3 >3,4
Volume Resistivity (ohm-cm) 1× 1016 1× 1016 0,05
Tensile Strength (MPa), ASTM D638 180 226 64
Elongation (%), ASTM D638 2,3 2,0 1,4
Flexural Modulus (GPa), ASTM D790 8,3 11 9,4
Specific Gravity, ASTM D792 1,56 1,69 1,81

Electronic Component Encapsulation Housings for Potted Coils and Components

Thermoplastic encapsulation of active electronic com- For high-voltage coils used in such applications as
ponents such as integrated chips is extremely difficult automotive ignition systems and television flyback
and rarely done. The reason is that even at low pres- transformers, the wire used is too fine and too tightly
sures, thermoplastic encapsulation can easily result wound to be encapsulated successfully with thermo-
in fine wire distortions. Also, getting thermoplastics plastics. Instead, such coils are vacuum impregnated
to penetrate tightly wound coils or very fine spaces with epoxies. Coil forms and housings used are typically
is quite difficult. Components such as rectifier chips, moulded from CRASTIN® PBT or RYNITE® PET poly-
resistors, etc., can be encapsulated. esters. Critical to success is the adhesion between the
epoxy and thermoplastics used. Poor adhesion leads to
Some small assembled circuit boards have also been minute air pockets being formed. This is an invitation
encapsulated with thermoplastics. However, this can be to corona discharge degradation (Figure 46).
done only with thermoplastics that have melting points
low enough that solder on the circuit boards is not
affected and the electronic components are not damaged.
An example of an encapsulation resin used here is
DELRIN® acetal resin (Figure 45). Other resins that can
be used here include the low melting point HYTREL®
polyester elastomers.

Fig. 46. Automotive ignition coil and coil bobbins in RYNITE® PET
chosen for its excellent dielectric properties, outstanding
heat resistance, and ability to provide a good and lasting
adhesion between the epoxy and the housing wall
Fig. 45. Circuit board encapsulated with DELRIN® acetal resin. (Standard Motor Products, Inc.).

16
UL 1446/IEC 85 EIS for Encapsulation
A fundamental requirement for many encapsulated
solenoids, transformers, and some motors is that they
meet either UL 1446 or IEC 85 EIS requirements (or
both). To meet this need, we have gained UL 1446 /
IEC 85 recognitions for RYNITE® PET encapsulation
systems in Classes B (130°C), F (155°C), and H (180°C).
The successful systems are listed below and in the UL
“Yellow Cards” under “Plastic Materials and Electrical
Insulation Systems (OBEU2)” for UL 1446 and under
“Insulation System Components, electrical, evaluated
in accordance with IEC publications (OCTU2)” for
IEC 85. We continue to expand our number of recog- Fig. 47. The DuPont KK (Japan) Encapsulation Team : Mitsura
nized encapsulated EIS; as additional systems receive Shimada, Hitoshi Shibata, Yoshiyuki Kuwazawa, and
Tosio Abe.
recognitions, they will be listed.
UL standard 1446, paragraph 3.4 defines an electrical
insulation system as follows: “An intimate combination
of insulating materials used in electrical equipment.
For example, the combination of a coil form, separators, For a 600 V system, the test voltage is 2200 V. The test
magnet-wire coating, varnish, lead wire insulations, and protocol requires that the low temperature have a geo-
outer wrapping of a relay coil.” In the case of encapsu- metric mean time to end-of-life of at least 5000 hr. The
lated coils, the combination includes as major compo- high temperature must have a geometric mean time to
nents the coil form, the magnet wire, and the encapsu- end-of-life of at least 100 hours. System evaluations are
lation layer. It is extremely important to note that in carried out according to UL 1446.
UL 1446 encapsulation system recognitions, both the Using this test procedure, DuPont has obtained UL
coil form thickness and encapsulation layer thickness recognition of the following UL 1446 Listed Insulation
have to be measured. Systems for Encapsulated Systems operating at a 600 V
To gain a UL 1446 / IEC 85 EIS recognition is very maximum (Table 3, page 18).
difficult. At DuPont, UL testing is performed with bifilar
wound solenoids that are encapsulated with thermo-
plastics in our laboratory. After the encapsulated sole-
noids are approved by a UL engineer, they are tested
as follows:
• Heat Ageing
High temperature: 3-day cycle
Middle temperature: 7- or 14-day cycle
Low temperature: 28-day cycle
• Cold Shock
Hold until stabilized at –20 °C
• Mechanical Stress
Vibration at 60 Hz for 3 min
• Moisture Exposure
48 hr at 92–100% RH room temperature
• End of Life Test
Check for shorted turns.
Ground insulation dielectrically stressed to ground Fig. 48. Solenoid from Amisco (Cinisello Balsamo, Italy)
at two times the rated voltage plus 1000 V for 10 min. encapsulated with ZYTEL® 74G20.

17
Table 3 DuPont Electrical Insulation Systems (EIS) for Encapsulation Recognized in UL 1446 /IEC 85 Classes B, F and H
System Designation Coil Bobbin Magnet Wire Encapsulant
Class B (130°C)
Z110E ZYTEL® 70G33L, 0,75 mm MW78 ZYTEL® 5429ER, 0,75 mm
E101N RYNITE® FR530, 0,75 mm MW28 RYNITE® FR830ER, 1,07 mm
E102N RYNITE® 530, 0,75 mm MW28 RYNITE® 815ER, 0,83 mm
Class F (155°C)
E200N RYNITE® FR530, 0,75 mm MW80 RYNITE® 815ER, 0,83 mm
Class H (180°C)
E300N RYNITE® RE5220, 0,75 mm MW35 RYNITE® 830ER: 0,83 mm
Notes:
1. All thicknesses are minimum thicknesses allowed.
2. Numerous minor ingredients (tapes, lead wire, sleeving) are available with these systems. Also, both NOMEX® and MYLAR® have been qualified in several of these systems as interwinding (major) insulation
if needed.
3. The 600 V these systems are listed at refers to the input voltage. Output voltages can be considerably higher.
4. These systems are listed in UL File No. E-69939 and can be made available through DuPont.

DuPont Thermoplastic Encapsulation Resins

Most thermoplastic encapsulated coils and E / E compo- For sensors, ZYTEL® PA612 resins have recently emerged
nents use one of the following DuPont resins: DELRIN® as the best choice in many cases. Owing to its crystalli-
acetal resins, ZYTEL® nylon resins, CRASTIN® PBT and sation characteristics, this polymer is inherently well
RYNITE® PET polyester resins, and ZENITE™ LCP resin. suited to relatively slow, low-pressure injection.
Key factors in selecting encapsulation thermoplastic Such process conditions are a key factor in the preven-
include end-use performance requirements and operat- tion of bunching of the very fine magnet wire (AWG
ing environment, moulding considerations, and costs. 39 to 50) used in variable-reluctance sensors or dam-
Costs are also affected by the availability and pricing age or displacement of delicate assemblies of electron-
of the required coil forms from the major coil form ic circuitry and components employed in “Hall Effect”
moulders. sensors.
ZYTEL® PA612 has advantages in end-use performance
DELRIN ® Acetals as well. Its thermal cycling performance and resistance
As noted earlier, DELRIN® acetal resins are used in some to road salt are even better than that of PA 66. Moisture
printed wiring board (PWB) encapsulations. The reasons absorption is also significantly lower, providing better
include very low moisture absorption and a low 175 °C dimensional stability.
melting point that allows PWB encapsulation without
melting solder traces. Low melting point H YTREL®
polyester elastomers can also be used for PWB encap- RYNITE ® PET and CRASTIN ® PBT Polyesters
sulations. Thermoplastic polyesters are also being used in encap-
sulated solenoids, sensors, and transformers. The pri-
ZYTEL® Polyamides (Nylons) mary reasons include very low moisture absorption
Heat-stabilized grades of the PA resins fulfill the service and better heat-aging performance than the polyamides
environment’s requirements for chemical and solvent (nylons). Both PET and PBT polyesters are used.
resistance, broad service temperature range, toughness, In general, the RYNITE® PET resins offer higher tempe-
and strength. PA6, PA66, and PA612 all excel in thermal rature resistance in service and slower crystallisation
cycling performance, a key requirement in the auto- during moulding than CRASTIN® PBT polyesters.
motive industry. Material costs are moderate, and pro- The latter is an advantage in the relatively long injection
cessing economics are favorable owing to their ease cycles typical of encapsulation moulding. A toughened
of moulding. RYNITE® PET formulation with 15% glass reinforcement
Standard ZYTEL® PA66 resins, usually glass-reinforced, has proven particularly well-suited for slow, low-pres-
are firmly entrenched as workhorse encapsulation sure injection cycles. Also, as noted above, the RYNITE®
materials for solenoids. With proper mould design and PET polyesters have been used successfully in gaining
moulding process controls, they give excellent results UL 1446 insulation system recognitions for encapsula-
for most part configurations. tion in Classes B (130 °C), F (155 °C), and H (180 °C).

18
High Temperature Polymers: knit-line strengths of LCP when designing the part.
ZENITE™ LCP also has exceptional dielectric strength
ZENITE™ LCP and ZYTEL® HTN Resins
at high temperature.
Polyamides (nylons) and polyesters function well at The newest candidates for thermoplastic encapsulation
service temperatures up to 130 °C and 155 °C , respec- are the “high-temperature nylons.” These resins are
tively. Above that, thermoplastic encapsulation is done partially aromatic polyamides featuring melting points
with either LCP or HTN. The high temperature resis- around 300 °C compared with the 262 °C melting point
tance and outstanding dimensional stability of LCP, for of PA66. It is expected that they will be used in sensor,
example, makes it ideal for sensors that must withstand solenoid, and some transformer applications where
temperatures greater than 175 °C. Furthermore, its low short-term exposures to high temperatures occur and
melt viscosity (approximately half that of polyamides better chemical resistance is required than is possible
and polyesters) makes it possible to fill thin wall sec- with the polyesters. ZYTEL® HTN resin also has signifi-
tions and to avoid damaging the fragile sensor compo- cantly higher dielectric strength than PA66 at elevated
nents. However, attention must be given to the low temperatures.

Table 4 Specific Product Information on Selected DuPont Thermoplastic Encapsulation Resins

UL94 UL 1446/IEC 85
Flammability Encapsulation
Generic % Glass at 0,8 mm Recognition
ZYTEL® Polyamides
101 PA66 — V2 –
70G30 L PA66 33 HB –
FR70G25 V0 PA66 25 V0 –
5429ER PA66 33 HB Class B
ZYTEL® “Electrical/Sensor Resins”
FE5382 BK-276 PA612 33 – –
FE5389 BK-276 PA66 33 – –
ZYTEL® HTN
HTN51G35 HSL NC-010 HTN 35 HB –
HTNFR51G35 L NC-010 HTN 35 V0 –
CRASTIN® PBT Polyesters
T803 PBT 20 HB –
T805 PBT 30 HB –
T841 FR PBT 10 V0 –
T843 FR PBT 20 V0 –
T845 FR PBT 30 V0 –
RYNITE® PET Polyesters
415HP PET 15 HB –
FR515 PET 15 V0 –
530 PET 30 HB –
FR530 PET 30 V0 –
RYNITE® “Electrical Specialty Resins”
815ER PET 15 HB Classes B, F
830ER PET 30 HB Class H
FR815ER PET 15 V0 –
FR830ER PET 30 V0 Class B
ZENITE™ LCP
6130 WT010 LCP 30 V0 –
Potted Coil Housings
CRASTIN®
LW9020 PBT/ASA 20 HB –
LW9030 PBT/ASA 30 HB –
LW9020 FR PBT/ASA 20 V0 –
LW9030 FR PBT/ASA 30 V0 –
RYNITE®
935 PET 35 mica/glass HB –
530 PET 30 HB –
FR530 PET 30 V0 –

19
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