These high-performance plastics can be used instead of metal for automotive engine peripherals

The use of plastic to reduce the weight of cars is still an important plan for manufacturers in the process of car lightweighting. The proportion of general plastics is 0.9~1.5, and the specific gravity of fiber-reinforced composite materials will not exceed 2. In metal materials, the specific gravity of A3 steel is 7.6, that of brass is 8.4, and that of aluminum is 2.7, which makes the plastic become the current stage of automobile reduction. One of the main means of weight. At present, the amount of plastics is constantly increasing both in exterior trims and interior trims. And with the continuous improvement of the comprehensive performance of engineering plastics, the surrounding of the engine, plastic windows, doors, frames and even more key parts of the car have begun to use plastic. So what are the latest applications of plastics in the automotive engine periphery? Xiao Bian has compiled some relevant information. Let's take a look!

DSM: comparable to PEEK's new PPA material

Without compromising safety and comfort performance, reducing the engine size and designing in a limited space is a great challenge in current vehicle design. DSM is convinced that ForTii Ace will play an important role in assisting vehicle manufacturers and their suppliers of components and systems to meet CO2 emission standards.

DSM officially launched this new material that can be comparable to PEEK in certain fields at K Show 2016. Kontrad Dullaert, ForTii's global business manager, once stated that “The target applications for ForTii Ace materials include powertrains, transmissions, and chassis. For thermal management applications, etc. At the same time, benefiting from the superior properties of ForTii Ace, many industrial applications using die-cast design can also use ForTii Ace as a metal replacement material."

ForTii® Ace is a polyphthalamide (PPA) based on 4T chemistry. It has a series of excellent mechanical, thermal and chemical properties and is suitable for applications requiring long-term strength under high temperature conditions. ForTii Ace has a glass transition temperature of 160°C, significantly higher than other polyphthalamide materials, including existing ForTii grades, and is at least 80°C above PA66. ForTii Ace is even more resistant to various automotive oils and chemicals than PEEK.

Most of the thermoplastics that replace automotive automotive die castings on the market today have a significant reduction in mechanical properties when applied to temperatures above 125°C. While ForTii Ace does not, with higher glass transition temperature and crystallinity, ForTii Ace's mechanical properties and heat aging resistance are superior to those of polyamide 6T, 9T and 10T based polyphthalamide competitors. It can be said that ForTii Ace is the only polyphthalamide product with an aromatic compound weight ratio of more than 50%.

With its excellent chemical resistance and mechanical properties, certain specifications of ForTii Ace products can even be used as a cost-effective alternative to PEEK in certain applications. “Our introduction of this material is to hope that the parts that have not yet been implemented to replace steel with steel can be advanced to plastic steel. For example, components in transmissions or gearboxes may currently use aluminum or other metals. We hope to gradually replace these parts with plastics.In addition, there are brackets for the engine and the engine, and even some customers are asking whether some parts of our chassis can gradually use plastic instead of metal.However, the chassis may be environmentally friendly. The requirements for temperature and humidity are relatively high, and there are high rigidity and high strength requirements.Customers also mentioned the application of automotive electronics. The components of automotive electronics are relatively small, but the design is more and more complex and may require some smaller The design of automotive connectors, these can reduce the weight, reduce weight to achieve more lightweight components." Konraad Dullaert said.

The ForTii Ace family consists of different grades made up of different types of fillers and reinforcing agents, including up to 50% glass and carbon fiber. The ForTii Ace currently under development is injection molded.

Solvay: High Performance Polymers Enable Energy Efficiency, Emission Reduction, and Lightweightness

2016 “Transmission Innovation Day - Automotive New Material Innovation Conference”, Solvay, a specialty polymer supplier, introduced its leading thermal management system solution, highlighting high performance including Amodel® PPA, Ryton® PPS, etc. Polymers are designed to help automotive OEMs and component manufacturers deal with the challenges of automotive engines in harsh environments such as high-temperature, high-pressure and high-corrosion environments, and to promote the engine's goal of “high energy efficiency, emission reduction, and lightweight”.

The Amodel® PPA, Rayton® PPS were soaked in LLC/water (50:50) at 140°C for 1000 hours, and the temperature was tested at 23°C. The results showed that the mechanical and dimensional stability of Amodel® PPA, Rayton® PPS Outstanding. In particular, the weight change of the 40% glass fiber-reinforced PPS parts was 0.4%, and the length, width, and thickness variation were all less than 0.1%. The water absorption of PPA is only half that of nylon, and PPS is only 0.1%. Test strips were immersed in Dexcool XLC:water (50:50) at 120°C and tested at 23°C. The weld line strength of Amodel®PPA and Rayton® PPS was excellent, which satisfied the weld line strength of the complex shape of the thermal management system. The request.

At present, Solvay's high-performance polymers are used in seven major engine parts, including the world's first all-plastic automotive engine oil pump, pump, inlet and outlet, throttle body, fuel rail and camshaft sprocket.

Teknor Apex: Glass Fiber Nylon Meets Multiple Requirements for Engine Room

Typical photo of the new Chemlon® compound on the hood of the future

Teknor Apex's two new fiberglass-reinforced polyamide compounds exhibit excellent flame retardancy and excellent thermal stability in injection molded automotive engine compartment parts such as hoods.

Chemlon® 904-13 GVNH and 204-13 GVNH are glass fiber nylon compounds that have a low halogen content and pass the vertical flame test at a thickness of only 0.8 mm (approximately 0.031 inch) and meet the UL-94 V-0 standard. Conventional halogenated compounds achieve this level of flame retardancy only by adding highly flame-retardants and synergists, which can lead to difficulties in injection molding, poor surface smoothness, and increased product density. In contrast, the new Chemlon compounds can produce smoother surfaces, have a 15% smaller product density, and can be quickly injection molded into parts with long runners or thin walls.

Jeff Schmidt, automotive manager at the Teknor Apex nylon division, said that this new compound has an equally advantageous feature in the engine compartment, namely thermal stability. “Chemlon 904-13GVNH is an extremely high temperature resistant material with a thermal deformation temperature up to 245°C [473°F] and still retains a high degree of performance retention at high temperatures,” said Mr. Schmidt, “in fact, the compound The actual continuous use temperature is much higher than the specification."

Ausin: Panduit® H series is ideal for a variety of automotive applications

Thanks to its excellent coefficient of thermal resistance and resistance to hydrolysis, Ausend's combination of Nylon 66 resin and engineering plastics can help original equipment manufacturers achieve lighter weight. The Panduit® H Series is a glass-filled, heat-resistant grade that effectively avoids heat damage from under the hood and is chemically resistant, making it an oil management, activated carbon canister, intake manifold, and cylinder Ideal for cover and other automotive applications. At this year's Chinaplas show, Oxide exhibited a number of nylon 66 innovations tailored to the automotive industry, including: In harsh environments such as automotive cooling systems, the Panduit® HR series offers the best heat resistance in the industry And resistance to hydrolysis aging; applied to turbocharged engines with high fuel efficiency requirements, Ausend's Panduit ® HT series can effectively prevent the performance degradation of the machine after long-term heat exposure.