Polypropylene automotive interior

Water-borne adhesives are preferred because of restrictions on the use of solvents. Low viscosity prepolymers are emulsified in water, followed by chain extension with water-soluble glycols or diamines. As cross-linker PMDI can be used, which has a shelf life of 5 to 6 h in water. Water-borne polyurethane coatings are used for vacuum forming of PVC sheeting to ABS shells in automotive interior door panels, for the lamination of ABS/PVC film to treated polypropylene foam for use in automotive instmment panels, as metal primers for steering wheels, in flexible packaging lamination, as shoe sole adhesive, and as tie coats for polyurethane-coated fabrics. PMDI is also used as a binder for reconstituted wood products and as a foundry core binder. 

The article describes the process of producing expanded polypropylene foam parts with a solid integral skin on one side, citing a bicycle helmet moulded from BASF s Neopolen EPP bead, as an illustration. The self-skinning EPP process reqnires some modification of standard beadmoulding equipment, needing an extra steam chamber. Automotive interior trim is a potential application for the process. 

Impact modified polypropylene is used for injection molding automotive, consumer and appliance parts. For example, the medium impact PP is widely used for automotive interior trim. High impact PP is used for battery cases, fender and truck liners. Impact PP is also used extensively in the houseware and appliance markets. 

In the automotive industiy, unpainted, unskinned polypropylene-based interior-trim components such as piUars, IPs, cluster bezels, center consoles, door panel components, handles, swatches and buttons, sills, and package shelves are candidates. The ability to add a highly durable, decorative mark to unskinned, unpainted components in economy vehicles, light trucks, and other industrial vehicles has strong economic incentives. 

In recent years, the quality of polypropylene fiber has been improved to enhance such properties as light weight, moldability, light stability, coloration, recovery feasibility, flame resistance, and antistatic propensity. It is increasingly used for automotive interior furnishing and parts. 

Polypropylene (PP) fibre is one of the most widely used synthetic fibres in the textile industry. PP has some advantages it is cheaper and stronger than many other synthetic fibres and it has been applied widely in various fields, e.g., carpets, automotive interior trim, films, packaging, protective cover, and cables. In particular, it is used for healthcare applications such as surgical masks, babies nappies, and filters, which need to display antibacterial effects. 

N. Ayrilmis, S. Jarusombuti, V. Fueangvivat, P. Bauchongkol, and R.H. White, Coir fiber reinforced polypropylene composite panel for automotive interior applications. Fibers Polym. 12,919-926 (2011). 

Low eost a-nucleants are produced in-situ in a molten polypropylene by reaeting particles of an insoluble non-nucleating dispersed phase metal salt or oxide with a soluble organic compound The dispersed particle comprises sodium eaibonate, sodium biear-bonate, or lithium carbonate, and acid is benzoic acid The method is applicable to automotive interior, exterior, and under-the-hood parts manufaetured from polypropylene ... 

Automotive interior element is produced from polypropylene with use of nueleating agent (talc in quantity of 0.1 to 1 wt%). The addition of nucleating agents brings about a considerable improvement in important physical-mechanical properties, such as flexural modulus, heat distortion temperature, tensile strength at yield and transparency ... 

Typical applications for homopolymer polypropylene include windshield washer tanks, shrouds for fans and steering columns, housings for domestic appliances such as hair dryers, sterilisers, irons, coffee makers, toasters, etc., extrusion of fibres and filaments for carpet backing, upholstery fabrics, clothing, geotextiles, disposable diapers, medical fabric and automotive interior fabrics. 

J. Park, D. Lewis, C. Yoon, Vibration Weldability Study for Automotive Interior Application Polypropylenes , Proc. of ANTEC, SPE (2006)... 

Compounds based on S—EB—S usually contain polypropylene, which improves solvent resistance and processibiUty and raises upper service temperatures. Compounds intended for use in the automotive industry are able to survive 1000 hours air exposure at temperatures of 125°C with only minor changes in properties (54). Very soft compounds have been developed to replace foam mbber for interior trim parts. In this and similar appHcations, these soft compounds are usually insert molded over polypropylene or metal and then coated with flexible polyurethane paint (55). Other automotive appHcations include products intended for sound deadening, flexible air ducts, and gear shifter boots, as weU as improving the properties of sheet mol ding compounds. 

Polypropylenes perform well in interior and exterior parts for automotive, under-the-hood and underbody components such as ... 

Brookfield, Ct., SPE, 2002, Interior Applications Session, p.97-117, 27cm, 012 SIMPLIFIED HIGH EFFICIENCY POLYPROPYLENE FOAM PART DESIGNS FOR AUTOMOTIVE HEADLINER COUNTERMEASURE APPLICATIONS... 

Polypropylene is extensively used in injection molding because of the wide range of physical properties and melt flow rates available. The principal markets served include transportation (primarily automotive), appliances, consumer products, rigid packaging, and medical products. Polypropylene use has increased in the automotive industry because of the wide availability of high melt flow rate impact copolymers for use in large thin parts, such as interior trim. 

Motor vehicles Most of the passenger car interiors including car seats are made of polyester fiber (90% of the world market), and in some cases polypropylene fiber. The flammability testing of fabrics used in motor vehicles, in particular, cars are not mandatory due to the fact that fire incidents in motor vehicles are rare and, moreover, fire spreads relatively slowly. Most manufacturers test seating covers and carpets conform to the U.S. FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard) 302 test, which is a simple horizontal flame spread test. Other similar standards are German DIN 75 200, British, Australian BS AU 169, and Japanese JIS D 1201 automotive standards. The curtains and blinds are tested according to tests specific to them discussed earlier. 

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