LFTs | COMPOSITES


LFTs gain from renewed focus on weight-saving


The developing EV market is opening new opportunities for lightweighting and carbon footprint reduction, renewing interest in LFTs in automotive and beyond, writes Chris Smith


Long fibre thermoplastic (LFT) materials have long been used in the automotive industry, particularly PP-based products that offer a combination of light weight, high strength and design freedom that allows them to replace metal in some structural applications. The arrival of electric vehicles has accelerated


interest. Car makers want to reduce weight to extend range so material selection for familiar components is being reconsidered – front ends, sunroof frames, and the like. However, the electric powertrain’s impact on vehicle design also pre- sents new part opportunities — components such as front storage modules, for example. According to Olaf Herd, Field Development Engineer for German automotive OEMs at Celanese,


www.compoundingworld.com


which is one of the leaders in the LFT materials sector with its Celstran and Compel product lines, the automotive industry offers potential in both exterior and interior parts, largely for lightweighting and carbon footprint reasons. He says PP-based compounds are typically considered for crash-rele- vant applications such as front ends and for structural parts such as tailgates and seating, where mechani- cal and dimensional performance must be accompa- nied with good aesthetic appearance, and low odour and emissions. PA-based LFTs are generally consid- ered for higher stresses functional parts requiring better thermal resistance. Price can be an issue in some projects, Herd


says, as the LFT injection moulding process and tooling has to be prepared to handle the highly


March 2023 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 27


Main image: Performance motorcycle and cycle makers, as well as EV producers, are looking hard at LFTs. This KTM motorcycle uses a circular LFT-PP from Akro-Plastic


IMAGE: AKRO-PLASTIC


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