Introduced as a polyamide 12–based magnetizable compound for injection-moulded magnetic components, KEBABLEND MW FE 190701 is specified where an iron-bearing filled PA12 provides lower moisture-affected property shift than PA6 or PA66 and better low-temperature impact than PPS. The grade belongs to the Barlog KEBABLEND series; the MW modifier identifies the magnetically filled product line, and the FE designation indicates an iron-based filler system. The PA12 carrier reduces equilibrium water absorption to approximately 1.5 % under ISO 62, compared with 9–10 % for PA6 and 7–8 % for PA66. The material is intended for injection-moulded rotors, encoder rings, sensor targets, and flux-carrying housings. Product-specific datasheet values for KEBABLEND MW FE 190701 depend on filler loading and surface treatment; published third-party figures for this exact configuration are limited. Processing values in this document refer to the class of magnetically filled PA12 compounds unless the supplier datasheet states otherwise.
Why is magnetic filler orientation the principal processing variable in this PA12 compound?
In a magnetically filled thermoplastic, flow-induced orientation of iron-bearing particles determines the anisotropy of remanence, coercivity, and flux distribution in the moulded part. Near the mould wall, shear stresses produce a frozen oriented layer; in thicker cores, lower shear permits random or transverse alignment. Gate position, wall thickness, injection velocity, and mould temperature therefore control the final magnetic axis more than the base polymer alone. For anisotropic fillers, orientation along the flow direction can increase remanence in that axis and reduce remanence in the orthogonal plane. Multipole magnetization of encoder rings exposes this effect directly: if melt flow near the gate produces circumferential orientation while the magnetizing fixture applies a radial field, the measured flux amplitude decreases and the pole waveform may become asymmetrical. Bonded magnet compounds of this class often carry filler loadings above 50 % by mass; the high filler volume increases viscosity and reduces melt compressibility. Magnetic acceptance tests are usually performed under IEC 60404-5 or ASTM A977/A977M. Production lines should verify that the magnetizing peak field exceeds the intrinsic coercivity of the filler by a factor suitable for the target pole spacing; otherwise a partially saturated component can pass dimensional inspection and still fail flux-density testing.
Drying prior to melt processing remains a critical control parameter. Magnetically filled PA12 compounds accumulate moisture at the polymer–filler interface even when bulk PA12 moisture uptake is low. Residual moisture above 0.1 % promotes hydrolytic chain scission, inconsistent melt viscosity, and splay at the gate. A closed-loop desiccant dryer with a dew point below −30 °C and an air temperature of 80–100 °C is used for material of this class. Dwell time is typically 4–8 h depending on initial moisture, hopper loading, and granule shape. If ambient relative humidity exceeds 60 %, hopper residence time should be limited and the material should not be returned to storage after extended exposure unless re-drying is carried out under controlled conditions. The exact moisture limit for KEBABLEND MW FE 190701 should be taken from the supplier processing guide; the 0.1 % figure is the commonly accepted upper limit for filled PA12 melt processing.
In continuous production, the iron-bearing filler in KEBABLEND MW FE 190701 is abrasive to unprotected screw, check ring, barrel, and nozzle surfaces. The plasticising unit should have an L/D ratio of at least 20:1, a hardened screw flight and check ring, and if possible a bimetallic barrel. A three-zone screw with a compression ratio between 2:1 and 2.5:1 is used for semi-crystalline polyamides. Screw speed should be limited to avoid excessive viscous heating; peripheral screw speeds for filled PA12 injection moulding are commonly 0.1–0.3 m/s. A reverse-taper nozzle or shut-off nozzle is preferred to prevent drool and filler stagnation. Hot runner systems can be used only if manifold and tip clearances are sized for abrasive compounds; dead spots in hot runners can cause binder degradation and filler separation. Batch-to-batch variation in magnetic filler density and particle size distribution should be monitored through ash content under ISO 3451-1 and by apparent density measurement of the dry granulate; this prevents drift in shot weight and flux output.
Gate Freeze, Multipole Magnetization, and Dimensional Tolerance Stack
Gate freeze time in a 2 mm wall section of a semi-crystalline PA12 compound determines the amount of packing transferred into the cavity after flow stops. A magnetically filled PA12 can freeze its gate within 1.5–3 s at mould temperatures between 60 °C and 100 °C; hold pressure after gate seal adds little to density but may still influence warpage through mould constraint. Dimensional tolerance stacks for encoder rings and rotor cores require balanced shrinkage in the axial and circumferential directions. The magnetic filler reduces shrinkage of the base resin but introduces flow-direction dependence. ISO 294-4 should be used to measure shrinkage on a reference plaque, while polar coordinate measurements on the actual moulding are required for multipole magnetized parts because flux peaks are sensitive to local wall-thickness variation. Gate placement on an outer diameter can orient filler circumferentially and assist radial magnetization, but creates a weld line at the melt junction. Weld lines in highly filled magnetic compounds represent local filler depletion and can produce magnetic dead zones that are not visible optically; magnetic flux scanning or magneto-optical imaging is used to detect such zones before assembly.
After demoulding, components are magnetized in a fixture matched to the pole count and geometry. Capacitor-discharge magnetizers with air gaps below 1 mm between fixture pole faces and part surface are used to reduce the field intensity required for saturation. For ferrite-filled PA12 grades of this class, peak fields in the range of 800 kA/m to 2000 kA/m are common; rare-earth-filled compounds may require higher fields depending on intrinsic coercivity. Incomplete saturation produces lower open-circuit flux and poorer thermal stability of the remanent state. The magnetizing pulse duration, often in the 0.5–5 ms range for capacitor-discharge units, must be longer than the eddy-current screening time of the filler network if conductive or metal-alloy particles are present. Because the FE designation points to an iron-bearing filler system, the magnetizing fixture and pulse settings should be qualified on sample parts using a Helmholtz coil and fluxmeter according to IEC 60404-5, with polarity reversal to check for axisymmetric pole alignment. Published product-specific saturation data for KEBABLEND MW FE 190701 is limited; therefore, the supplier should provide magnetization curves if the part is used in a safety-relevant sensor circuit.
Observed production issues with magnetically filled PA12 include check-ring leakage, nozzle drool, gate blush, and flux amplitude drift after moisture conditioning. Check-ring leakage is addressed by using hardened, close-clearance non-return valve assemblies and by verifying cushion stability during run. Gate blush is minimized by reducing melt temperature, increasing gate diameter, or reducing injection acceleration. Flux amplitude drift after climate cycling often arises from dimensional swelling of the carrier rather than demagnetization; post-conditioning flux measurements under 85 °C/85 % RH for 500 h can separate reversible humidity effects from true irreversible magnetic ageing.
Rheological data for magnetically filled PA12 compounds frequently show pronounced shear thinning. When injection speed is increased from 50 mm/s to 150 mm/s, cavity pressure at the gate may not increase linearly because filler particles orient and the continuous PA12 matrix exhibits pseudoplastic behaviour. Capillary rheometry under ISO 11443 should be used to generate viscosity curves at the intended melt temperature range of 220–260 °C. The pressure–volume–temperature relationship should also be obtained for packing simulation; high filler loading reduces specific volume change but increases thermal conductivity, so cooling time can be shorter than for an unfilled PA12 part of the same wall thickness. Part ejection is nevertheless constrained by the lower elongation at break of the filled compound. Draft angles below 0.5° are not recommended for magnetic filler compounds because release forces increase with filler surface roughness and can lead to microcracks at the gate or weld line after ejection.
Mechanical acceptance testing on moulded parts follows ISO 527-1/-2 for tensile modulus and ISO 179-1/1eA for notched Charpy impact using dry-as-moulded specimens. Because PA12 absorbs moisture, conditioning under ISO 291 standard atmosphere 23 °C/50 % RH changes impact and flexural values; test reports should state the conditioning history. For magnetic components, dimensional metrology should be performed before magnetization because magnetized parts attract and repel steel gauges, producing non-repeatable readings. If dimensional inspection must occur after magnetization, non-magnetic or ceramic tooling and optical measurement are required. The supplier may report filler content as ash residue under ISO 3451-1; final part density can be checked by water displacement under ISO 1183-1 only if the part surface is sufficiently non-porous.
| Property | Standard or method | Typical condition / unit |
|---|---|---|
| Density | ISO 1183-1 | g/cm³ |
| Tensile modulus | ISO 527-1/-2 | MPa |
| Flexural modulus | ISO 178 | MPa |
| Charpy impact, notched | ISO 179-1/1eA | kJ/m² |
| Heat deflection temperature | ISO 75-2 | °C at 1.8 MPa |
| Water absorption | ISO 62 | % after 24 h or saturation |
| Moulding shrinkage | ISO 294-4 | % flow / transverse |
| Magnetic properties | IEC 60404-5, ASTM A977/A977M | remanence, coercivity, energy density |
| Ash content / filler loading | ISO 3451-1 | % by mass |
| Melt volume-flow rate | ISO 1133-1 | cm³/10 min; condition specified by supplier |
When PA12 replaces PPS or PA6 in encoder target carriers
In encoder target carriers, the binder polymer influences moisture-induced expansion, moulded-in stress, and the low-temperature impact response of a magnetically filled part. PA12 provides lower water absorption and better dimensional stability in humid engine-bay or chassis environments than PA6 or PA66, but its continuous-use temperature is lower than that of PPS. This makes the material more suitable for applications in which the service temperature stays below approximately 100 °C to 120 °C, whereas PPS is selected for temperatures above 180 °C. The difference from an unfilled PA12 is pronounced: the magnetic filler raises density, raises modulus, reduces elongation at break, and lowers tool wear tolerance. Compared with a PA6-bonded ferrite compound, the PA12 matrix reduces moisture uptake and therefore reduces the risk of dimensional growth and flux signal drift after humidity cycling. Compared with a PPS-bonded magnet, the PA12 formulation usually shows higher elongation at break and lower brittleness, which can reduce edge chipping during automated assembly, but the supplier datasheet must be used to confirm whether this specific KEBABLEND grade meets the required heat-ageing and flux-stability limits.
| Matrix | Water absorption, ISO 62 | Typical continuous-use temperature | Shrinkage behaviour, ISO 294-4 | Application boundary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PA12 | 1.5 % saturation | 100–120 °C | moderate; lower moisture-induced growth | humid environments requiring impact resistance |
| PA6 | 9–10 % saturation | 100–120 °C | higher moisture-induced dimensional change | cost-sensitive dry applications |
| PA66 | 7–8 % saturation | 120–140 °C | moderate to high moisture-induced change | elevated temperature under low humidity |
| PPS | 0.1 % or less | 200–220 °C | low, anisotropic at high filler loading | high-temperature and aggressive chemical exposure |
From a regulatory standpoint, PA12-based magnetizable compounds for automotive or industrial sensor components are normally assessed against REACH Article 33 notification duties and RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU Annex II restricted substances, with special attention to lead, cadmium, and chromium in iron-bearing filler streams. The supplier should provide an IMDS declaration and the material-specific safety data sheet. The product is not intended for direct food-contact use unless explicitly certified under FDA 21 CFR or equivalent; magnetic fillers and processing aids can affect migration, and PA12 base resin compliance does not automatically extend to the filled compound. For electrical equipment safety, bondable magnetic parts used near air gaps or rotating shafts should be evaluated for dielectric strength under IEC 60243-1 if the part acts as an insulator, and for tracking resistance under IEC 60112 if conductive filler or surface contamination is present. End-use qualification under the relevant sensor or actuator specification should include humidity cycling, thermal shock, and flux stability testing after magnetization.