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2008-03-29
Manufacturing News
Concepts for optimizing automotive application of plastics In developing concepts for optimizing the automotive application of plastics in terms of cost and weight for the car of the future, LANXESS offers alternatives.
At the VDI conference “Plastics in Automotive Engineering 2008”, the stand of the LANXESS Semi-Crystalline Products business unit was devoted to material innovations and technical concepts for making vehicles lighter, more cost effective, and more efficient to run. “Our development work for the car of the future is very broadly based,” explains Ralf Zimnol, head of Application Development in the Semi-Crystalline Products business unit. “For example, two areas we are concentrating on are functional polymers with anti-static or flame-retardant properties, and easy-flowing thermoplastics that are cost-effective to process into large, thin-walled components. Further focal points include new material combinations, such as composite sheets for consistent lightweight construction and polyesters and polyamides with a very high modulus of elasticity as alternatives to metals and expensive specialties.” The developments are geared towards creating products with added value that – at the very least – cost no more than existing series applications. Zimnol presented LANXESS’s latest automotive innovations in his lecture “Concepts for optimizing the automotive application of plastics in terms of cost and weight” recently in Mannheim, Germany on March 6. Applications for plastics with highly filled Pocan and Durethan grades will be a consistent theme running through the LANXESS exhibits. Because of their high glass fiber content of between 40 and 60 percent, these materials are very stiff, but still boast excellent flow properties. “They can be used to manufacture thin components that can still withstand high mechanical loading – opening up significant potential for weight reduction,” says Zimnol. For example, the display will include hinges for the rear door of a van and the door handle of a car, both produced using Durethan DP BKV 60 H2.0 EF plastics reinforced with 60 percent glass fibers. One example of an application using a highly filled PBT is a reversing lever for a car transmission system, which is injection molded using Pocan T7391 reinforced with 45 percent glass fibers. The LANXESS stand also showcased new plastics materials developed to withstand the high temperatures under the hood, for example impact resistant Durethan BKV 30 HTS, which – thanks to its high temperature stability – can withstand continuous temperatures of around 150 °C with peaks of up to 190 °C. “In view of the grade’s thermal aging stability, it is the ideal, cost-effective alternative to specialties from the higher price segment,” notes Zimnol. A car intake manifold is used to demonstrate that the heat-resistant polyamide 6 also yields excellent surfaces. A further focus of the presentation is the trend toward turbocharged engines, which is leading to a rise in demand for charge air tubes with integrated bellows. Previously, it was necessary to employ a complex procedure for the sequential coextrusion of expensive special polyamides of different hardness. Now, LANXESS has developed cost-effective plastics alternatives for both the material and the production process. It achieves this through advanced, pseudoplastic standard polyamides whose elasticity modulus is 500 MPa and below, making them very soft. “The materials can be used to produce charge air tubes as single-material solutions using suction blow molding and parison manipulation. Thanks to their high temperature stability, our materials are also suited to use in higher continuous service temperatures,” says Zimnol. The benefits of the new materials will be demonstrated on the prototype of a close-to-production charge-air tube with bellows made of Durethan DP BC 600 HTS. LANXESS’s core business comprises the development, manufacture and sale of specialty chemicals, plastics, rubber and intermediates. If you're an employer looking to fill a job opening, click here to find out about posting your job listing through Jobwerx.com. See all the Press Releases from LANXESS sites. Read a recent article about -
. Polyurethane automotive components
save weight on roof modules
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