Automobile industry overview

I noticed the need for a book such as this through my guest lectures at the University of Detroit-Mercy and my experiences dealing with students and interns at General Motors. Their questions regarding what a chemist s role should be within the automobile industry prompted me to write this book. It is intended to give an overview of topics dealt with by today s automotive chemist however, for more detail I recommend further reading. 

While cellulose fiber reinforced polypropylene (PP) is already used by default for example in the automobile industry for interior parts (Karas and Kaup, 2005), the conventional use of cellulose fiber reinforced PLA is still at the beginning. But there are also some products such as biodegradable urns, mobile phone shells or prototypes of spare tyre covers made from natural fiber reinforced PLA at the market (Anonymous, 2007 Iji, 2008 Grashom, 2007). Maty studies deal with the use of natural fibers as reinforcements in PLA composites. An overview about the mechanical characteristics and apphcation areas of natural fiber-reinforced PLA can be foimd for example in Bhardwaj and Mohanty (2007), Avella et al. (2009), Ganster and Fink (2006), Jo-noobi et al. (2010), and Graupner et al. (2009). For the improvement of the composite characteristics it is still necessary to carry out optimization processes for fibers, PLA matrix and the interactions of both. Moreover the processing parameters, force elongation characteristics of fibers and matrix as well as the use of additives like plasticizers or adhesion promoters have decisive influences on the mechanical characteristics of the composites. 

This chapter provides an overview of the corrosion mechanisms of typical Mg alloys, most of which contain two or more phases. Magnesium (Mg) is a reactive metal and corrosion protection is an issue of importance [1] particularly for the automobile industry. The rapid increase in Mg use is due to its lightweight and good casting capabilities, particularly its ability to be diecast into large, thin sections. Typical examples are automobile seats, instrument panels, computer cases, etc. Reviews [1-4] and our early research [5-9] have indicated that the poor corrosion resistance of Mg alloys results from (a) the high intrinsic dissolution tendency of magnesium, which... 

However, in order to gain an overview of the customer structure of a firm, the number of potential customers first needs to be evaluated. Taking a supplier in the automotive industry as an example, possible customers are automobile... 

---