Plastics in Automotive Applications

ADVANCES IN CHEMICAL RECYCLING OF PLASTICS IN AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS... 

The use of plastics in automotive applications has expanded considerably over the past 20 years. In 2001, approximately 2501b of plastics were used per automobile compared to less than 100 lb five years earlier. With the increased use of plastics, coating research has concentrated on the painting of these often difficult substrates. Among the numerous prerequisites for coatings on plastic are wetting of the substrate uniform film development a cure response below the heat distortion temperature of the plastic adhesion to the sub-... 

The automotive sector is expected to remain the fastest growing maiket for PPO/PE blends. Product development has been an important driver in the use of these materials in the past with new and improved grades being introdueed to the market. PPO/PPE will continue to replace metal and other plastics in automotive applications during the next five years. 

ABS is not expected to displace many other types of plastics in automotive applications in future. There is however a possibility that PC/ABS blends may be one of die candidates being considered by OEMs to replace st5Tene-maleic anhydride copolymer (SMA) in some interior applications. Manufacturers are known to be looking for alternatives to SMA copolymer. 

The use of calcium carbonate in thermosets continues to grow as these plastics replace alternative materials, especially in automotive applications. Increased loadings of calcium carbonate in thermosets reduce cost and provide better surface characteristics. 

Large parts can require considerable power requirements. Resistance welding has been applied to complex joints in automotive applications, including vehicle bumpers and panels, and joints in plastic pipe, and in medical devices. Resistance wire welding is not restricted to flat surfaces. If access to the heating element is possible, repair of badly bonded joints is possible, and joints can be disassembled in a reverse process to which they were made. 

In an earlier investigation by the author [3] Step 2 analogues containing 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate were prepared and used as rubber components in engineered plastics for automotive applications. 

Bisphenol A. One mole of acetone condenses with two moles of phenol to form bisphenol A [80-05-07], which is used mainly in the production of polycarbonate and epoxy resins. Polycarbonates (qv) are high strength plastics used widely in automotive applications and appliances, multilayer containers, and housing applications. Epoxy resins (qv) are used in fiber-reinforced laminates, for encapsulating electronic components, and in advanced composites for aircraft—aerospace and automotive applications. Bisphenol A is also used for the production of corrosion- and chemical-resistant polyester resins, polysulfone resins, polyetherimide resins, and polyarylate resins. 

Schuckert M (1995) Life cycle analysis of plastic parts in the automotive industrie - present and future. Presentation, Autoplas 95, World congress on plastics and rubber in automotive applications, Diisseldorf, Germany, 3 October 1995... 

The most stable polyacetal polymer is polyformaldehyde (or polyoxymeth-ylene, POM) this is the only polyacetal that has reached commercial production. This resin has unique properties (e.g., selflubrication) and is very widely used in automotive applications such as engineering plastics. Acetals are widely used engineering thermoplastics with high load-bearing characteristics and low coefficients of friction. Currently, over 200 million lb of acetals are molded and extruded in the United States. 

The Shore A scale, or as it is sometimes called, durometer hardness, enjoys considerable success in North America and in particular is widely accepted by the automotive industry the scale is an integral part of the classification system for elastomeric materials used in automotive applications (ASTM D2000). Shore hardness has also become the industry standard for the rapidly growing thermoplastic rubber sector, where advantage can be taken of the complementary Shore D scale for harder grades and for rubber-modified plastics. Seven Shore scales are described in ASTM D2240, while Shore A and D hardness are also detailed in the international standard for pocket hardness meters. ISO 7619 (BS903. Part A57). The latter also specifies a pocket meter based on the IRHD scale. 

Plastics offer several advantages over traditional materials in automotive applications, namely ... 

Since the use of plastics is ever increasing in automotive applications the need for effective plastics recycling will further increase in the future. The pressure on OEMs to recover and recycle their products will be felt throughout the production chain by recyclers, dismantlers, shredders, sub-suppliers, contractors and raw material producers. There is thus a strong motivation for the automotive industry to learn to manage its products and processes in an environmentally-effident way. 

Volatility and non-fogging are other properties that have to be developed by a proper method of production or composition. A plasticizer having a low volatility is obtained by passing a mixture of reacted products through a thin film evaporator at temperature in the range of 200-250 under pressme lower than 5 kPa and evaporation of 5 to 30% of the composition. In automotive applications, where fogging is the major concern, plasticizers based on organic diphosphates are used (n=l) ... 

If the U.V. resistance of this plastic is improved by the use of stabilizers, then this material may be used in outdoor applications, for example, in automotive applications such as rear lamp covers and in reflectors. Because of the materials better resistance to temperature fluctuations, compared to PS, it is used for high quality, household utensils this temperature. 

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