Salt Lake City, UT--Battery charging shelves take a beating, especially when sulfuric acid spills out of the batteries. That's why molder Envirotech Products turned to a glass-mineral polypropylene compound for the design of new shelving products.
To protect the shelves from delamination and other problems caused by sulfuric acid, the OEM, East Penn Manufacturing (Lyon Station, PA), turned to the Gapex(TM) (HPP30GR29BK) compound supplied by the Filled and Reinforced Plastics Div. of Ferro Corp. (Cleveland). The shelving components, molded in one piece, require no assembly. A molded lip replaces loose pieces used to prevent batteries from sliding off the shelves. The material also provides the rigidity needed for supporting heavy loads without excessive bowing.
The 30% fiberglass/mineral-filled and chemically coupled homopolymer polypropylene has a tensile strength at 73F of 8,200 psi, a flexural strength at the same temperature of 12,000 psi, and a flexural modulus (tangent) of 700,000 psi. Heat deflection temperature at 264 psi is 270F, the melt-flow rate is g/10 min, and the molded shrinkage is 0.003 inch/inch.
"We will see a much improved sulfuric acid resistance over our current pulverized fiberglass shelves for about the same price," says Ron Miksiewiez, East Penn's manager of manufacturing.
"And, he says "the shelves should last five to six times longer, with fewer problems and repairs than our existing material."
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