High-Tech Plastics: Standout Features of Flexibility   

Despite not always being obvious at first glance, high-tech plastics are almost everywhere - and they have a great future, too! Many companies in the automotive industry in particular, but also in the electrical and construction industries, are making increasing use of these innovative materials developed in laboratories. The benefits of high-tech plastics are plain for all to see. These light weight materials offer greater flexibility and open up a whole host of new design options. They also make a valuable contribution to protecting the climate and the environment.
    Growth in the use of high-tech plastics is particularly marked in cars. Whereas 30 years ago they accounted for roughly 7% of the content, today this figure is nearly 20% and growing all the time. One of the primary benefits of high-tech plastics is that they make cars lighter by replacing metal parts that are many times heavier. Less weight means lower fuel consumption and thus lower carbon dioxide emissions. This is kinder on the wallet and, above all, on the environment - a real recipe for success. High-tech plastics also play a key role in one of the automotive industry's most important areas of activity for the future - the development of cutting edge electric vehicles.
　　High-tech plastics are also becoming increasingly important beyond the automotive industry. They are already found in a whole host of applications - from high-end washing machine control panels, lamp fixtures, switches and window frames to soccer stadiums and the latest sports equipment - and new uses are emerging on an almost daily basis.

Construct Light Vehicle Dream

The automotive industry is facing a change, though. The exponential increase in car ownership in the strongly growing emerging markets of China, India and Brazil, combined with the huge rise in truck freight, is stepping up the pressure on manufacturers to significantly reduce their vehicles' greenhouse gas emissions.

Promising Hybrid Technology

Lightweight construction with hybrid technology Plastic-metal composite technology - also known as hybrid technology - is a prime example of LANXESS' innovative skills for lightweight automotive construction. It was invented by LANXESS and combines the strengths of plastic with those of metals such as steel and aluminum. Metals contribute a high elasticity modulus, impressive strength and ductile properties (plastic deformation when subjected to excessive loads). Glass-fiber-reinforced polyamide 6 grades of Durethan R are the plastics most commonly used thanks to properties such as excellent dynamic strength and impact resistance in both hot and cold conditions. Hybrid technology enables self-supporting components with a high load-bearing capacity to be manufactured that, in addition to being lighter than their all-steel equivalents, are also safer and often stiffer, too. The first time hybrid technology was used in large series production runs was for front ends. Well over 50 million of these structural bodywork components have now been manufactured using Durethan R BKV 30 H2.0. Virtually all international automakers use hybrid front ends made from this polyamide 6 and sheet steel.
Plastics on Vehicle Strutting Its Stuff

Reducing vehicle weight is one of the keys to this. For every 100 kilograms less a vehicle weighs, its CO2 emissions fall by around 13 grams per kilometer. Plastics in particular offer great weight-reducing potential simply because they have lower densities than metals. The proportion of plastic used in today's medium-sized vehicles already amounts to around 15%. This figure will increase significantly in the future thanks to new design concepts and/or innovative material combinations. Automakers are keen to find new materials for a whole variety of parts in their vehicles that, as well as helping to save weight, also contribute to more efficient engine technologies involving high temperatures and aggressive biofuel components. In the medium term, the trend toward hybrid and electric drives will play a key role in promoting the use of plastics in automotive applications. The lighter the bodywork and the interior, the smaller today's heavy batteries can be made and, as a result, the lower the engine rating.
   In automotive engineering, vehicles are increasingly being equipped with electrically controlled comfort and convenience functions, electronic safety functions and electrically powered auxiliary systems such as power steering or oil pumps. This is resulting in above-average growth for PBT plastics. PBT can be found, for example, in electronic components for air conditioning systems, control units, electronic automatic braking systems (ABS), electronic stability programs (ESP), electric windows, seat control units and housing components for electric motors. PBT's ability to replace metals is resulting in a number of new applications - such as front headlight bezels and sunroof frames.

Hybrid front end with nylon composite sheet

The additional stiffness of the plastic-metal composite technology used in the front end of the Audi A8 not only makes the vehicle much lighter, but also safer and more comfortable. For the first time, this hybrid component uses lightweight nylon composite sheets in addition to aluminum. The lightweight material is used to create a U-section just 1.0 millimeter thick for the lower beam of the hybrid front end. This weighs 20% less than an aluminum equivalent. The innovative hybrid component is the result of close cooperation between automaker, system supplier and raw materials producer. It is made by Decoma Exterior Systems GmbH, a subsidiary of Magna International Inc. The semi-finished nylon composite sheet is supplied by Bond-Laminates GmbH and a customized polyamide 6 from LANXESS's Durethan R family is used in the nylon composite sheet and the injection molding process.