VEHICLE TRIM

Brief details are given of the use of LDPE and EVA foams in automotive and leisure applications. Examples mentioned are car boot mats and interior mats, vehicle trim, headlamp gaskets, and vibration absorbers, gym mats, luggage, boat hull cladding, sports wear and buoyancy aids. 

In the automotive industry, propionate and butyrate find many over-foil uses, where the plaslics are coaled over foil strips for vehicle trim. 

Ferritic stainless steels commonly contain 17% Cr and <0.12% C. Such steels are used in household appliances (e.g. washing machines and dishwashers) and in vehicle trim. Increasing the carbon content of ferritic stainless steels results in the formation of martensitic stainless... 

Young et al. have provided a review of a number of their proposed microrotorcraft designs [7]. These include a quad-rotor tail sitter, which uses rotor speed control for vehicle trim, and can engage in hovering or forward flight a mini-morpher, which can change shape to operate as either a ducted-fan flier or a hybrid... 

Expandable graphite has potential as the flame retardant in polypropylene-flax composites under consideration for vehicle trim, along with other natural fibres, and also in building applications. 

In Western Europe the largest user is the vehicle construction industry where ABS has been used for fascia panels, door covers, door handles, radiator grilles, ventilation system components, heater housings, seat belt fastenings, console panels, loudspeaker housings, interior trim and other uses. For some years there was extensive use of electroplated ABS. Whilst this continues to be used for nameplates, reflectors and other parts where a bright reflecting surface is a requirement, it has tended to fall out of favour simply for decoration. 

Automotive adhesives. CR adhesives are used to bond recreational vehicle sidewalls, for vinyl trim bonding in panels, and to bond in place truck and trailer roofs. 

Major uses of the ferritic steels have been on motor vehicles as trim and in domestic equipment such as cutlery and hollow ware, but use has also been made in refrigerators, washing machines and on sinks and similar fittings. Some types would no doubt find much wider application in the chemical field and other fields where their superior corrosion resistance would be a considerable advantage if it was not for the fact that the austenitic types have advantages (sometimes considerable) in fabrication. However, the availability of the low interstitial weldable types and the super ferritics is increasing in scope. 

Large frontal areas create air turbulence and drag. Bodies derived from wind tunnel testing can provide a more smooth air flow around the vehicle. Details such as mirrors, rain gutters, trim, wheel wells and covers can also be more appropriate for air flow. Radial tires can reduce fuel consumption as much as 3%. Puncture-proof tires of plastic could save even more and eliminate the cost and weight of a spare tire and wheel. 

Therefore, the use of plastics will increase and not diminish. One need only think of the importance attaching to heat insulation in the building industry for saving valuable energy, or of the automotive industry, where plastics can help to trim vehicle weight and thus save energy. There are so many... 

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Committee (TC)146 sub-committee (SC)6 maintains the main EN ISO 16000-series of test methods for emissions testing and associated IAQ (see Table 6.1) and is working in conjunction with ISO TC 22 (cars) to harmonize associated test methods for in-vehicle air quality monitoring and emissions from car trim components. 

VDA 270. Determination of the Odour Characteristics of Trim Materials in Motor Vehicles, VDA Empfehlung, Frankfurt/ Main, Germany. 

For reasons such as this various methods have been devised to provide metallic coatings on polymeric substrates. It can be done with metallic paints and by metallizing (as described in other chapters of this book) but it is fair to write that electroplating can give the most durable of these finishes and may be preferred in uses like external trim of motor vehicles—when essential requirements include good resistance to abrasion and to corrosion. 

A single layer of bright nickel of thickness 5 to 10 //m will supply good durability in less corrosive environments but for more exacting conditions thicknesses of 15 to 20 /urn are necessary. An example of the latter is exterior trim for motor vehicles, where specifications demand a double-layer system of nickel. 

Automotive badges, instrument panels, lamps, trim, etc., for motor vehicles si si ... 

Casting. The reactive liquid mixture is poured into a mold, and allowed to polymerize and cure. This is used to make solid tires for industrial vehicles, and to make decorative items such as simulated wood trim, furniture, picture frames, and lamp bases. 

Applications. Major applications of semi-rigid foams are in the area of automotive parts, especially in the interior of vehicles, for use as shock-absorbing pads, e.g., instrument panels, console-box lids, door trims, head restraints, arm rests, and sun visors. 

Interior trim development8 Math data analysis Vehicle builds Mules... 

The use of rubber components in vehicles is extensive. Applications include sealing, vibration dampening, and trim. Most rubbers in power train applications are for seals and gaskets (Chapter 8). Chassis applications most often center around vibration dampeners (isolators) for heat exchangers, engine and transmission mounts, and exhaust line isolators. Body and interior applications include interior trim and body sealers. A more thorough list of applications and types of rubbers is presented in Chapter 3. 

In this chapter we will discuss the basic families of materials used in today s automobiles. We will concentrate on polymers, although the chemist s role deals with all materials used in a vehicle. The use of polymers has steadily increased ever since their introduction into a vehicle s structure. Exterior as well as interior parts and trims made from polymers are increasingly replacing traditional steel or aluminum parts [1], The drive for mass and cost savings is enhanced by the material s ability to be customized and to decrease material cost. Coatings are applied to interior parts as well as to exterior parts to enhance appearance and provide corrosion resistance. Stabilization is required of many of the polymeric components (this topic is addressed in Chapter 4). 

Table 3.5 presents the various types of polymer materials used in a vehicle, their quantities, and their approximate mass. At 20 kg, interior trim represents the highest amount of polymer usage, followed closely by the dashboard and seats. 

A major problem in automotive vehicles is corrosion control, particularly in the northern areas of the country where salts are used to melt road ice. Protection of exposed steel from corrosion is accomplished by electroplating with copper-nickel-chromium films, particularly on trim and finish moldings. Electrophoretic painting of body panels is used industry-wide, and electrogalvanizing to protect steel under paint is soon to become a standard practice for all vehicles. Electrochemical accelerated tests for the integrity of coatings and for the determination of the concentration of coolants are used extensively. 

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