Lightweight Automotive Adds Opportunities to the Plastics Industry

US research firm Frost & Sullivan published a research report in early October that currently global automakers are increasingly focusing on improving fuel efficiency, reducing CO2 emissions, and preferring lightweight structures in the design of automobiles, including the use of The use of more lightweight plastics to replace part of the steel structure will definitely increase the amount of plastic used for vehicles and bring a new round of development opportunities to the global plastics industry. At the same time, the report warned that plastics manufacturers in vehicles need to further increase their R&D and publicity efforts due to the limitations of plastics and their widespread acceptance by consumers.

Plastic instead of metal powered

Frost & Sullivan pointed out that the implementation of automotive energy efficiency standards in some countries or regions has promoted the development of light vehicles. Auto manufacturers are now working hard to increase research and development and expand the application of plastic materials in automobiles. BMW's efforts to reduce vehicle quality include using low-quality thermoplastics instead of steel to reinforce and connect parts of its BMW 5 Series cars so that each vehicle can lose 10 kilograms. Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen are also actively promoting the replacement of metals with plastics to obtain lighter vehicles and better performance.

In addition, the structural design of automobiles has become more and more clever, and the assembly of automobiles has also become more integrated. This has also prompted automobile manufacturers to use more plastics. The use of plastic instead of metal components facilitates better integration and assembly, and increases the flexibility of automotive design. Although the price-performance ratio of plastics is not much higher than that of metal, the overall cost is reduced because there is no need to fasten the secondary processing and assembly. In addition, thanks to the ease of injection molding, it is possible to make complex process designs and model beautifications, thus also promoting plastic-to-metal alternatives.

At the same time, the growth in demand for automobiles by the BRIC countries will provide new opportunities for automotive plastics suppliers. Despite the sluggish demand in the U.S. and European car markets after the subprime mortgage crisis, the demand in Brazil, Russia, India, and China remains strong. Therefore, automakers and upstream raw material suppliers will focus on these areas for future automotive plastics usage. Prepare for promotion.

Large room for future growth

At present, plastics account for about 12% of the mass of medium-sized passenger cars. They are mainly used in the appearance of automobiles, interiors, and under-the-hood components. The main automotive plastics are polypropylene (PP), polyurethane (PU), and polyamide (PA). ), ABS and so on. Plastics currently used in automotive exteriors and interiors tend to mature, while plastic applications under the hood are still in their infancy.

Frost & Sullivan pointed out in the report that PP is the main plastic used in the appearance and interior of automobiles, which accounts for about 45.5% of the automotive plastics consumption. It is expected that the average annual compound growth rate of consumption from 2009 to 2016 will be 8.5%. In 2016, the dosage will reach 4.88 million tons; PU is mainly used in vehicle seats, accounting for about 17.5% of the total usage, and due to its good structural performance, it will also be in the automotive NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) system. In the expansion of the application, it is expected that the annual compound annual growth rate of consumption from 2009 to 2016 will be 6.8%, and the amount will reach 1.68 million tons in 2016; PA is mainly used in components under the hood of the automobile, including radiator fan cover, intake pipe, and engine cover. The radiator terminal water tanks and battery trays have great potential for the replacement of metal pipes, thermostat housings, charging ducts, water pump impellers, and water outlet valves. It is expected that the average annual consumption will be from 2009 to 2016. The growth rate can reach 10.6%, and the amount will reach 1.222 million tons by 2016; ABS plastics are mainly used in automotive interior dashboards, grilles, decorations, ceilings, car audio and other components. It is expected that the consumption will be from 2009 to 2016. Compound annual growth rate up to 4.4%, the amount of 2016 will reach 650,000 tons.

R&D and promotion need to be strengthened

Although the automotive plastics market has developed rapidly under the environmental protection policy and the continuous promotion of the excellent characteristics of plastics, many negative factors have also affected future product promotion. The first is the restriction on the recycling regulations for automobile waste parts in some regions. The European Union requires that by 2015, 85% of the weight of automotive components must be able to be recycled and reused. As some plastics are not recyclable themselves, alternative steel components are limited. Some studies have shown that steel is used instead of cars. 25 kinds of plastics can increase the recovery rate by 5%. The second is that the performance limitations of plastics in certain aspects will weaken their competitiveness with traditional steel materials, such as high temperature resistance, and they must withstand higher temperatures when applied on the hood. Expanding the scope of application of plastics requires higher R&D and technology investment in the performance of plastics, which will increase the cost of plastics use. Third, negative perceptions of plastic properties and people's demand preferences may inhibit the use of plastics in automobiles. In North America, for example, consumers prefer heavy cars.

Frost & Sullivan suggested that automotive plastics manufacturers should increase investment in R&D to improve the heat-resistance performance of plastics, and at the same time increase publicity and promotion efforts to eliminate people's misunderstanding of the properties of automotive plastics. In this way, automotive plastics can be more applied and expanded.