Automotive DSM has also
Automotive DSM has also partnered with automotive component specialist KACO in the development of a lightweight multifunctional crank shaft cover (cf. bioplastics MAGZINE issue 05/2013) in EcoPaXX for the latest generation of diesel engines developed by the Volkswagen Group, resulting in a significant cost and weight reduction. Fig. 3: Concept in-mold-formed housing cover Future developments DSM is developing new high-performance reinforced injection moulding compounds of EcoPaXX. It is also actively involved in programs to develop high-speed processing technologies to produce automotive structural and semi-structural components in thermoplastics composites containing mats and tapes of continuous fibres pre-impregnated with thermoplastics. In an integrated production cell, parts are made by first creating a preform from the mat and/or tape, and then overmoulding it with an advanced polyamide such as EcoPaXX. At K2013, DSM showcased a concept in-mold-formed housing cover (fig. 3), developed with Weberit. This cover is made in a combination of a continuous glass reinforced EcoPaXXbased composite and an injection molded EcoPaXX compound. Composites containing carbon fibers based on EcoPaXX (as well as Akulon polyamide 6 and Stanyl polyamide 46) will facilitate significant weight reduction in automobile body and chassis parts, while glass fiber reinforced composites will be targeted at reducing the weight of semi-structural components. In all cases, the light weighting will result in increased vehicle fuel efficiency and reduced emissions of carbon dioxide. DSM is also a partner in the four-year EU-sponsored ENLIGHT project, which also includes several car companies and which aims to accelerate the technological development of materials capable of cutting weight and overall carbon footprint in medium-to-high volume next-generation electric vehicles. DSM further shows its strong commitment to the development of advanced thermoplastic composites by being one of the founding partners in AZL, the Aachen Center for Integrative Lightweight Production. www.ecopaxx.com 20 bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/14] Vol. 9
Automotive Bio-PPA to replace metal & rubber Rilsan ® HT, the first flexible thermoplastic from the polyphthalamide (PPA) family available on the market, combines high temperature resistance with flexibility. Rilsan HT, made by Arkema (Colombes, France) is therefore filling a gap in the high heat resistant and flexible polymers as the inherent brittleness of classical PPA and other high-temperature thermoplastics has restricted their use to mainly rigid components and injection moulded parts. These characteristics make it aptly suited to replace metal and rubber in under-the-hood tubing applications. Weighing only a sixth of steel and a third of aluminium, it therefore helps reduce the weight of vehicles, their fuel consumption and their overall emission output (CO 2 , CO, NO x , HC) – all at reduced cost compared to classical metal tubing or rubber hoses assembly. The impressive performance of Rilsan HT is further enhanced by environmental benefits. Rilsan HT is a durable high-temperature thermoplastic derived largely from renewable non-food-crop vegetable feedstock, thus offering a significant reduction in CO 2 emissions compared to conventional petroleum-based high-temperature plastics and a reduced dependence on oil resources. Rilsan HT resin features a renewable carbon content of up to 70%, naturally fitting into the ecodesign concepts of many OEMs. Fig. 1 and 2: Rilsan HT flexible tubing in the engine compartment (top: exhaust gas recirculation system, bottom: blow by Line) Typical examples of use where Rilsan HT has established itself successfully to replace metal and rubber in flexible engine compartment tubing include the oil transport, blow by and control of exhaust gas recirculation. Thanks to its excellent hydrolysis resistance, Rilsan HT has been also recently successfully used in the most challenging application for polyamides, the aqueous media management, in the engine cooling and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) circuit where the material needs to withstand the hydrolysis attack at temperatures of the engine compartment. Cooling lines, until today, have been limited to the use of metal and rubber due to the lack of flexible thermoplastic materials with sufficient hydrolysis resistance at high temperatures. Now, Rilsan HT has been chosen for engine cooling lines, providing significant weight reduction versus metal-rubber assemblies. With the new Euro 6 emission regulation which will come into force next year, SCR becomes a crucial part of diesel engines and thereby Adblue ® tubing for SCR. The combination of resistance to aqueous Adblue solution with thermal aging tubing when close to the engine, is a challenge that Rilsan HT has proven to take. Finally, when temperature demands go extreme, Arkema has developed a new Rilsan HT grade specially designed for excellent hydrolysis stability at even higher temperatures. Now, cost-effective manufacturing of light-weight flexible tubing for even most challenging under-the-hood tubing applications is possible. Fig. 3: Rilsan HT flexible tubing for engine cooling lines www.rilsanht.com bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/14] Vol. 9 21
