Automotive industry composite solutions

With the high-temperature solution polymerization processes, various ethylene homo- and copolymers with different average molecular mass and copolymer compositions are produced. The product portfolio comprises PE-HD, PE-LLD, PE-VLD, and the ethylene/propylene elastomers (EPM, EPDM) (see Figure 2). The thermoplastic products have a wide range of applications [1]. The elastomeric ethylene/propylene copolymers can also be applied widely in the automotive industry, for plastics modification, in industrial applications such as seals, in electrical cables, and in tires [2], Uncured ethylene/propylene copolymers are applicable as viscosity index improvers for lubricant oils [5]. 

The automotive industry is the prime driver of green composites because the industry is faced with issues for which green materials offer a solution [69]. Many components for the automotive sector are now made from natural fibre composite materials [70]. Natural fibres have intrinsic properties like mechanical strength, low weight and low cost, ecological sustainability, low energy requirements for... 

Textile composite solutions used in the automotive industry... 

A cost-effective solution to the automotive industry using composites made of commingled yams can be given on the material combination of glass fibres and polypropylene (Thanomsilp and Hogg, 2005 Thanomsilp and Hogg, 2003)... 

One-shot manufacturing of complex shaped parts can be considered one of the best solutions [7,8] for the fast production of composite pieces dedicated to the railway and automotive industries. Fig. 16.2(a) represents a cross stiffener made of metallic welded tubes. This chapter outlines the replacement of metallic cross stiffeners with their composite counterpart, using a one-shot manufacturing methodology. Fig. 16.2(b) and (c) describe the geometry designed to achieve a composite cross stiffener. 

Bonded joints are extensively employed in the construction of composite structures in aerospace applications, maritime structures, lifting equipment, wind mills as well as automotive industries [3, 4, 5], Unlike the bolt hole in mechanical fastening that causes a stress concentration in the composite joint plates, adhesively bonded joints minimize the potential for stress concentration within the joint. Besides, applications where lower structural weight, improved damage tolerance design philosophy are required, adhesively bonded joints provides a potential solution. Bonded joints are an efficent fastening solution also for hybrid structures, i.e., structures where composite parts are connected to metal parts. 

In a recent publication, a vision was presented by Tier 1 automotive solution providers. It stated, Light weight, high-strength materials (including polymer-matrix composites) will be the focus for material development in the automotive industry for the next several years... The use of bio-based... 

Fluid Specifications. The performance characteristics of all antifreeze solutions are governed by fluid specifications, that have been developed over the years by industry standards committees, such as the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). Additionally, most engine and/or cooling system manufacturers have thek own compositional specifications to which the fluids must conform. 

Advanced crack-resistant coatings based on water dispersion of chlorine-sulpho-polyethylene (CSPE, Hypalon ) vulcanized by a Mannich alkali (MA) water solution were obtained. Application of MA as a CSPE structure component makes it possible to produce a vulcanized net of saturated polymer, and thus to develop an ecologically safe, impenetrable crack-resistant coating for any substrata (concrete, metal, plastic, etc.). The coatings can be applied in the aircraft, automotive, shipbuilding, paint, and varnish industries, civil engineering, and so on as a corrosion-resistant material. The optimal coating composition and its mechanical properties have been studied. 

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