FILCO film formers for SMC and BMC
Film formers for sheet and bulk molding compound. Slow styrene solubility so the strand survives compounding, and the surface appearance the Class A panel is judged on.
Film formers for sheet and bulk molding compound. Slow styrene solubility so the strand survives compounding, and the surface appearance the Class A panel is judged on.
SMC and BMC ask a film former to do two things that pull against each other. It has to hold the strand together through chopping and compounding, then release into the styrene at the right moment during molding. Release too early and the strand disperses before the charge flows. Release too late and the fiber prints through the surface.
COIM builds this family for slow solubility in styrene. That is the property that buys the compounder time.
The family splits by chemistry. FILCO 366 and 366/1 are unsaturated polyester dispersions at 44 percent solids, the general purpose choice. 366/1 is the DAP free version at a finer 300 nm particle size. FILCO 310, 322 and 7605 are epoxy-urethane dispersions running 52 to 55 percent solids, and COIM points them at automotive.
FILCO 7605 is the Class A grade. It carries the highest Tg in the family at 95 degrees F and a 900 nm particle size, and COIM names it for Class A surface application specifically. A Class A panel is graded on what the eye sees after paint.
It is also written as SMC film former, BMC film former, sheet molding compound sizing, and glass fiber sizing film former.
| Property | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | Unsaturated polyester dispersions and epoxy-urethane dispersions |
| Carrier | Water based emulsion |
| Solids content | 44 to 55 percent depending on grade |
| Average particle size | 300 to 1500 nm depending on grade |
| Styrene solubility | Slow, which is the defining property of this family |
| Published grades | 5 |
| Matrix | Thermoset |
Typical values from the manufacturer's technical data sheet. They describe the product, they are not a specification. We will send the current TDS and the batch documentation your qualification needs.
Tell us the binder system, the property you are targeting, and the volume you expect. We will confirm the grade, send the documentation, and ship a sample from North American stock.
| Grade | Chemistry | Solids | Av. particle size | Tg | EEW | Main features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FILCO 366 | Unsaturated polyester | 44 percent | 400 nm | Not determined | Not applicable | General purpose |
| FILCO 366/1 | Unsaturated polyester, DAP free | 44 percent | 300 nm | Not determined | Not applicable | General purpose, DAP free |
| FILCO 310 | Epoxy-urethane | 52 percent | 1500 nm | 86 degrees F | 550 g/eq | Mainly automotive application |
| FILCO 322 | Epoxy-urethane | 55 percent | 1200 nm | 86 degrees F | 560 g/eq | Mainly automotive application |
| FILCO 7605 | Epoxy-urethane | 53 percent | 900 nm | 95 degrees F | 650 g/eq | Class A surface application |
Values are the manufacturer's published typical figures. Ask for the current technical data sheet on any grade and we will send it with the matching safety data sheet.
Chopped glass in a polyester or vinyl ester paste, matured and pressed. The film former governs how the strand behaves through maturation and flow.
Shorter fiber, higher filler, injected or compressed. Strand integrity through the compounder is what the sizing protects.
FILCO 310 and 322. COIM names automotive as the main application for both epoxy-urethane grades.
FILCO 7605, the highest Tg in the family, written for the surface a paint line will be judged on.
It is specified where the formulation needs slow styrene solubility, so the strand survives compounding before it releases, epoxy-urethane options at 52 to 55 percent solids for higher line throughput, a dedicated Class A surface grade in FILCO 7605, and a DAP free option in FILCO 366/1.
These are water based dispersions applied at the forming line as part of a sizing bath. The film former is one component of a size, alongside coupling agent, lubricant and antistat, so the bath formulation is what gets optimized rather than the film former alone.
Particle size is the specification to watch across this family. It spans 300 to 1500 nm, and it drives both how the size wets the filament and how quickly the film redissolves in styrene.
Tell us the matrix resin, the process and the surface class the part is graded to. Grade selection here is a conversation with COIM's technical group and we run it for you.
Package sizes: Made to order in the pack size the line needs. Tell us the volume and we will confirm..
Storage: Store in the original sealed container, protected from frost and from direct sun. Water based dispersions are damaged permanently by freezing. Confirm the shelf life on the current data sheet for your grade.
Read the safety data sheet before handling. We supply the current SDS with every grade.
Because the strand has to survive chopping, compounding and maturation before it releases. A film former that dissolves quickly in styrene lets the bundle disperse too early, and the charge stops flowing as a unit. The spray-up family is built the opposite way, for fast solubility, because there the resin meets the fiber at the gun.
FILCO 7605. COIM names it for Class A surface application, and it carries the highest Tg in the family at 95 degrees F. Tell us the paint system and the panel and we will confirm it against COIM's technical group before you trial it.
366/1 is the DAP free version and it has a finer average particle size, 300 nm against 400 nm. Solids are the same at 44 percent and both are general purpose. Specify 366/1 when diallyl phthalate has to be out of the formulation.
No. FILCO film formers are made to order at COIM's Offanengo plant in Italy and shipped for your requirement. Tell us the volume and the timing and we will quote the lead time with the price.
Yes. Tell us the process, the matrix resin and the fiber and we will send the current technical data sheet with the matching safety data sheet, and arrange sample material.
Yes. We send the Technical Data Sheet (TDS) and Safety Data Sheet (SDS) on request, in the manufacturer's current revision. Use Request TDS or SDS above and tell us what your qualification review needs.
The fast styrene solubility family, built the opposite way to this one.
Where translucency and quick impregnation are the specification.
The powder side of the same thermoset business.
What a film former does in a sizing, and how the chemistries divide.
The selection logic, worked through on the carbon side.