composites | LFTs
Above left: Ticona’s Celstran LFT-G PP provides good acoustic damping, rigidity and impact resistance for this BMW underbody module
Above right: A 20% Nepol grade of LFT-G PP from Borealis is used to produce the IP carrier for the BMW Series 7 car
and automotive OEM. “The automotive industry will continue to be the major end use marketplace for LFT PP”, says AMI’s director of consulting and editor of the multi-client study, John Nash. “Automotive industry demand is running at more than twice overall industry growth rates so we expect to see a significant increase in LFT PP content per vehicle in volume terms by 2015”. AMI says LFT PP is now used fairly widely in
automotive front end carriers, instrument panel carriers, door panel supports, consoles, pedals, under body shields and a number of other sectors. In many of these applications the use of LFT PP is enabling automotive engineers to replace steel to reduce weight and improve fuel efficiency, or to replace more costly engineering plastics. Nash says flexibility in application and part design are
among the key attractions of LFT PP for car component makers. Parts made in LFT PP are often quite large – mouldings can routinely weigh up to 4 kg - yet it is also possible to achieve wall thicknesses of less than 1 mm.
LFT PP processing routes The LFT PP market is comprised of two quite distinct product families, which can be identified by the process- ing technique used. LFT-G is a granular product supplied to the processor ready-to-use. It is produced in conventional compounding equipment fitted with modified dies. The long fibre length is achieved using wire coating or pultrusion technology at the die head. AMI says the largest producers of LFT-G PP include
Ticona with its Celstran brand, Sabic Innovative Plastics, which markets the product using both the Stamax and Verton brands, and Chisso, which is now renamed as JNC Corporation and is linked with Japan Polypropylene and Mitsubishi. In contrast, LFT-D is compounded and processed directly at the point of use. There are a number of
52 COMPOuNDING WOrLD | January 2012
variants of the LFT-D PP process but all, essentially, maintain a long fibre length by extruding the compound- ed material through an open die directly into the mould. The first successful promoter of LFT-D technology was the German compression moulding machinery group Dieffenbacher. Its in-line compression moulding technique is said to be particularly suitable for 2D parts. However, injection moulding techniques are more suitable for production of 3D components and Krauss- Maffei has emerged as the largest supplier of in-line injection moulding machinery for LFT PP production in recent years with its Injection Moulding Compounding (IMC) systems. Whichever in-line technique is employed, the
economic benefits of the LFT-D PP route lie where the moulder is producing high volumes of relatively large parts, says AMI. In other circumstances, the lower capital investment required for LFT-G PP often makes it the preferred option. “Demand for both LFT-D and LFT-G types is running
at above automotive industry growth rates. However, LFT-G growth rates exceed those of LFT-D, which can be attributed to the lower cost of entry. A processor with an injection machine can convert to LFT-G processing for the cost of a new screw and barrel,” says Nash. The decision on which LFT manufacturing route to adopt will also be influenced by part design, which may need to be optimised for the processing technique and can result in significant impact on the technical and commercial performance of an individual part.
Technology leaders AMI’s report says demand for LFT PP been growing strongly in most applications and in most regions of the world. It predicts double-digit growth rates over the coming years. However, penetration of LFT PP varies significantly by automotive OEM.
www.compoundingworld.com
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