AUTOMOTIVE | INTERIORS AND EXTERIORS
this shows that a Xiran SG/glass-tape hybrid part can be 25% lighter and 30% less costly than a Xiran frame with steel reinforcements.
Above: Headlamp concept by Covestro
need painting, they have high scratch resistance, and the alloy is also resistant to things like solar creams that vehicle users may be using,” he says. Blends can also be used for exterior body and engine compartment parts. Alloys of polyamides and ABS are far from new
– Terblend products from Styrolution, for example, were originally developed by BASF. But Peduto says Radilon Mixloy is different, at least in one way, in that Radici came at its development from the polyamide side, rather than from the styrenics side. With Radici’s polyamide production being
integrated upstream, he says, the company has the opportunity to “play with the molecular chain” to obtain optimal properties. “We have control over three things – the base polymer, the compatibiliser, and the production process. Mixloy products are thermodynamically very stable, which means that after processing, there is no re-agglomeration of different phases. We have studied post-industrial recycled materials based on these blends, and we see that even in compounds containing up to 90% recyclate, there is no difference in properties.” Polyscope has a new alloy too, comprising
polypropylene and styrene maleic anhydride, SMA: Xiloy SG160, which is 30% glass fibre reinforced. The supplier says the SMA improves the mouldabil- ity and dimensional stability. First commercial application is for a trunk component. “In addition to its favourable processing and mechanical properties, Xiloy SG160 was selected for its low-noise properties, which is an important feature in today’s cars,” says a company representative. Polyscope also says it is building on the success
of its Xiran SG glass-filled SMA/ABS series for sunroof frame components with the development with downstream partners of new hybrid material concepts based on Xiran SG and glass- or carbon organosheets or tapes. It says the systems offer weight savings and are also cost-effective, citing a design study for a next-generation sunroof frame:
26 INJECTION WORLD | November/December 2020
For lighting The trend toward developing complex, intricate automotive lighting designs using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) has created a need for high-perfor- mance thermoplastics with exceptional flow and easy mould release. That’s according to SABIC, which has a portfolio of super high-flow Lexan polycarbonate resins for automotive lighting bezels. “These materials can enable the industry to create complex geometries and integrate more features never before possible with ease of manufacturing,” it says. Materials for automotive lighting include Lexan HF4010SR, which SABIC says features the highest flow, as measured by melt volume rate (MVR) testing. Super high flow not only enables complex headlight bezels with enhanced aesthetics, but it also reduces injection moulding clamp force required, the company notes. “Lexan HF4010SR resin can also provide a solution to the challenge of poor mould release for PC parts with low draft angles. These angles can cause the part to stick in the mould or develop scuff marks when released from the mould, leading to rejects.” SABIC says the easy release properties enable faster de-moulding and the reduction of surface defects, even in parts with challenging release angles (0.5 to 1.0 degrees lower than the recom- mended PC draft angle) and thin walls. Polycarbonate major Covestro unveiled an
innovative automotive headlight concept at K 2019 (see also Injection World November-December 2019). The approach is based on different types of its Makrolon polycarbonate. Compared with conventional solutions, the new modular design makes do with fewer individual components and reduces assembly steps, space requirements and costs. In total, the headlight prototype may cut weight by over 1.5kg. The company says the development is another
example of its ambition to become “fully circular.” The amount of work required for separating, sorting, and storing materials in recycling streams is reduced. Apart from pure polycarbonate and a blend with acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), the headlight uses only a scratch-resistant coating for the outer lens cover and metallisation on the reflectors. Röhm has pulled off something of a coup by
getting its highly impact resistant Plexiglas AG 100 into head light applications on Volkswagen’s ID.3
www.injectionworld.com
IMAGE: COVESTRO
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