MATERIALS | AUTOMOTIVE
Composites at SPE automotive awards
The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) held its 52nd annual Automotive Innovation Awards Competition and Gala last November. Thermoplastic composites were present in several of the entries, finalist parts and awarded parts.
Body Exterior Award: A thermo- plastic split gate for the 2023 model year Rivian LLC R1S is the world’s first all-thermoplastic split gate rear-clo- sure system, delivered to the assem- bly line as a ready-to-install module. Advanced Material Composites supplied injection moulding grade LGF-PP and TPO materials. The
complex, deep draw (80+ mm) design offers improved perceived quality at lower mass, NVH and cost versus metals. Part design was reduced from nine components to three. Sustainability Award: A one-piece
Thermoplastic Frunk for the 2024 model year Mustang Mach E from Ford marked the first time a 20% PCR recycled material has been used in a colour-matched moulded-in-colour (MIC), Class A structural surface Frunk application. Advanced Composites supplied the material, its ADX8327 20% PCR TPO, which offered material sustainability at a lower density and
impact strength of 23°C of 30 kJ/m2 is the highest
Right: Stefano Montani, Marketing Manager Automotive at Syensqo
range of an ABS grade. Its high stiffness and impact are combined with particularly good thermal resistance (Vicat B50 of 105°C). The company developed a more sustainable version of the material that it calls Elix E-Loop H801 MR, contain- ing mechanically recycled feedstocks. Elix Polymers increased its E-Loop portfolio of sustainable products with additional grades based on mechanically recycled, chemically recycled and bio-based feedstocks, Herter said. Elix introduced two grades with 30% mechanical recycled content, E-Loop 4105MR an ABS/PC, and Elix E-Loop 5120MR, a PC/ABS grade. Both grades show very low emission values which opens the door to automotive interior applications, Herter said. Lifecycle analysis shows a saving of 29% in the CO2 footprint, when compared to equivalent standard Elix prime grades, Herter said. The E-Loop CR portfolio of chemically recycled and bio-based grades can be currently manufac- tured with monomers coming from different waste sources and chemical recycling technologies, such as tires or mixed plastic waste, although there are other options available for the sourcing of mono- mers. Grades offered under the E-Loop CR line can contain recycled or bio-based content from 20% up to 100% and are based under the mass balance traceability scheme supported by the ISCC+ certification rules, Herter said.
36 INJECTION WORLD | January/February 2024
better impact compared to a virgin TPO. The redesign of the part re- duced component count from six to one, eliminating two metal brackets, saving 3 kg of mass, and increasing cargo volume and functionality. The PCR content in the material,
sourced from yoghurt cups and packaging materials, helped save an estimated 1,125 tonnes of CO2 annually.
Body Interior Award: A Mega bin/
Frunk for the 2024 model year F-150 Lightning from Ford Motor Company was also named the Grand Award winner. See details on the next page.
Syensqo, previously part of Solvay Group, looks to play a key role in the future of clean mobility by making the next generation of EV batteries possible and by advancing green hydrogen and thermoplastic composites, according to Stefano Montani, Marketing Manager Automotive.
Battery enclosures The company has developed new functional materials for automotive applications. It launched SolvaLite 716FR as a solution for battery enclosures. The material helps replace steel or aluminium and mica, achieving part weight reductions in the range of 40%, Montani said. “Our focus is on the optimisation of lightweighting and safety; we make sure we offer a structurally resistant solution with the lowest weight possible.” Syensqo will
highlight a prototype battery cover made from the new material at the upcoming JEC 2024 show. The company’s latest functional automotive solutions for injection moulding are Ryton PPS Supreme HV and HF grades. The first material focuses on providing high CTI performances, which is important when designing power mod- ules, high voltage connectors and busbars. “A higher CTI material helps component miniaturisa- tion and increases the electrical safety of the system. Another differentiating attribute of this product is its high RTI (relative thermal index) of 180°C,” Montani said. The Ryton PPS Supreme HF grades provide exceptional flowability which
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