AUTOMOTIVE | MATERIALS
ensuring long-term reliability in demanding conditions.
new grades offer over the minimum 25% recycled content required by the directive, helping custom- ers towards compliance.” The grades are available in hardnesses of 43-90
Shore A and can be used for overmoulding onto polypropylene (PP) substrates. They have good UV stability and meet standards for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and fogging, making them acceptable for use in interior automotive applications.
Under the hood Portugal-based Cabopol Polymer Compounds has introduced a new grade of its R-Lacoflex TPE – for automotive under-the-hood applications. The grade integrates up to 25% recycled material, sourced from post-industrial recycling. The com- pany claims this offers a 29% reduction in carbon footprint value compared to previous materials. “By integrating recycled content into our
formulations, we are meeting the quality standards expected in the automotive industry and contribut- ing to a greener future,” said Anselmo Mendes, head of sales at Cabopol. R-Lacoflex compounds were designed for critical components such as air guides for cooling systems, offering good heat and ageing properties,
SPE winners Celanese recently won SPE awards in three separate categories. In the chassis/hardware category, it won for its design of half shaft rear axle diaphragm boots. Neapco developed injection-moulded diaphragm boots to replace blow-moulded designs for the 2024 Ford E-Transit. High MFR, low-viscosity Hytrel TPC-ET from Celanese brought high flex fatigue resistance – as well as a 15% weight reduction and 17% material savings. In powertrain, its Zytel PA66 was used in a coolant
hub. Cooper Standard Automotive created a leak-tight hub for the 2025 Ford Mustang Mach E to improve EV coolant system efficiency. Integrating multiple tubes, fittings and connectors into a compact manifold reduced tubing length by 1.23m and system weight by 5%. It achieved a 50% reduc- tion in packaging space and a decrease in coolant pressure drop. Zytel PA66 was used in the three moulded components of the laser-welded hub. And, in safety, Grand Traverse Plastics designed a busbar cable support bracket for the 2025 Cadillac Celestiq. It prevents thermal runaway and high-voltage arcing by minimising cable motion
Left: Cabopol new R-Lacoflex grade of TPE is aimed at automotive under-the-hood applications
Left: Avient has extended its Resound REC range of TPEs with a range for automotive interiors
IMAGE: AVIENT
IMAGE: CABOPOL
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