technology | Materials
required, allowing car makers to handle limited run special editions if required.
The Hycolene 16624 grade has met Nissan’s requirements in terms of visuals and dimensional criteria. The car maker is now undertaking further mechanical tests prior to making any commercialisa- tion decisions.
PP compound weight reduction and recycled content Source: Luxus
Physical properties: Hycolene 16624 versus 16407 production grade
“We are looking at both existing and future model applications,” says Nissan’s Ellis. “The latest trials show the dimensional differences are quite negligible on not very large panels so there is a potential weight saving on current models. But most likely it will be introduced on new models where the tooling is specifi cally designed to get the best from the new materials by reducing wall thickness. There is a slight performance improvement and that would allow us to slightly downsize the wall thickness to add another weight saving opportunity.”
Source: Luxus
supplying in large volumes to Nissan for over 10 years. But there is a difference between virgin and recycled material in that recycled material is fi nite whereas virgin material is not. So some planning needs to take place before setting up a grade,” says Burton. Colour also needs to be considered. Blacks, greys
and browns can be managed easily with recycled materials. Bright colours are more challenging. Burton says the company is supplying a light grey recycled compound for Nissan’s Leaf electric vehicle. However, the weight saving benefi ts of the Hycolene formulation can also be exploited in virgin PP compounds if
Price will certainly be a factor that will come into play in any commercialisation decision. “There is a slight price premium on this product because the Hyperform additive is more expensive than talc,” says Luxus’s Burton. “But it is going to be grade dependent, I think. Like-for-like with virgin we are not going to be too dissimilar, but like-for-like with recycled we may be slightly more expensive. Each grade will have to be priced on its own merits.”
Burton says the compounder is now looking ahead to additional Hycolene grades, including a high impact version as well as different colour and shrinkage options. Luxus is also seeking opportunities to license the Hycolene compounding technology, with the Indian market a prime attraction. The company recently announced an agreement with local Indian polymer sourcing and distribution specialist KPL International.
Click on the links for more information:
www.luxus.co.uk
www.milliken.com
AMI Strategy Seminars
These one-day seminars are given by an AMI director and provide invaluable insights into market trends and industry strategies. They are held in small groups and provide ample opportunities for questions and discussions.
14 May 2013: Vienna, Austria 25 June 2013: Singapore
15 October 2013: Cologne, Germany 9 December 2013: Dubai, UAE
Contact: Katy Cheng,
kb@amiplastics.com, +44 117 924 9442
www.amiplastics.com/seminars
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