New materials solutions for automotive lightweighting and surface aesthetics

Borealis and Borouge have introduced several new and upgraded material solutions that they say have been engineered to enable the automotive industry to achieve greater cost efficiency, higher performance and improved sustainability in vehicle components.

The companies say the new lightweight grades, ‘Fibremod WE380HP’ and ‘Daplen EE058AI’, are representative of their commitment to offering new and multi-faceted solutions to automotive OEMS around the globe.

“Borealis and Borouge are attuned to the needs and demands of the automotive industry,” said Harald Hammer, Borealis Vice President of Engineering Applications. “We will continue to develop lightweight PP solutions for automotive compounds that not only help our customers and partners achieve broader, long-term sustainability objectives, but also enhance automotive surface aesthetics.”

In so-called hybrid grades, reinforcing polypropylene (PP) with a combination of glass fibre and mineral filler yields a special performance grade. As one such grade, Fibremod WE380HP is a new hybrid PP compound comprised of 20 percent glass fibre reinforcement and 10 percent mineral filler. It is intended for use in both structural and visible automotive parts, such as under-the-bonnet (engine covers, gear housings) and high-end interior applications (window frames, arm rests). As a replacement for other materials, Fibremod WE380HP is a lightweight solution that contributes to lower fuel consumption and reduced CO2 emissions without compromising on visual aesthetics or performance. The grade can bear a high mechanical load, offers excellent processability, outstanding dimensional stability, low warpage, good heat resistance and allows for self-colouring, according to Borealis and Borouge.

The recently-launched thermoplastic olefin (TPO) compound, Daplen EE058AI, is not only lightweight, but also offers tiger stripe-free technology, as does the upgraded Daplen EE189HP. The phenomenon of tiger stripes - the visually recognisable periodic change of surface gloss – is caused by converting processes and is a general problem of all thermoplastic materials, including polyolefins. The newly-developed, tiger stripe-free TPO compound Daplen EE058AI is said to boast an excellent property profile and is designed to be a fitting replacement for conventional T15 and T20 interior materials.