Versatility for mobility

Plastic compounding is emerging as an important engineering process amid rising industrial reliance on polymers. Global Market Insights (GMI) analyst Saloni Walimbe explains why.

The versatility of plastics is derived partly from the ability of the materials to be combined with different types of substances or additives, which can enhance known properties as well as establish new ones. These can range from foaming, flame retardancy and flexibility, to impact resistance, thermal and electrical conductivity, and recycling potential. The compounding process is essential to creating plastic materials that are highly adaptable and suited to a multitude of consumer needs. Research from Global Market Insights, Inc. has shown that the global plastic compounding market is expected to exceed $63.2bn (~£48.2bn) by 2028.

Compounding alters the existing properties in engineered thermoplastics, from aesthetics to thermal components, by melting down a blend of plastics and additives to create a new product. The process of compounding can involve various materials, with PP, PE, ABS, PVC, and other polymers among the most common.

Increasing focus on automotive lightweighting

Historically, metal has been the material of choice for the automotive industry, especially for engines and bodywork. With evolving consumer habits and regulatory mandates promoting the shift towards weight reduction and fuel efficiency in vehicles, however, the role of compounded plastics in the design and production of automotive components has become increasingly prominent. As per Nexant, over a third of the 30,000 parts used in modern vehicles are made from plastic, with PVC, PA, PU, and PP accounting for almost 70 per cent of the plastics used in these applications.

Compounded plastics give automotive manufacturers the ability to design exterior and interior components with strong characteristics including abrasion and vibration resistance, haptic properties, and durability. A major boost to the adoption of plastics in automotive production is the intensifying focus on lightweighting. Prominent nations have established mandates targeted towards weight reduction in cars, contributing largely to plastic compounding industry growth from the automotive segment, which registered a more than $15bn valuation in 2021, as per GMI projections.

In addition, fuel efficiency has also become a major pain point for automotive producers, owing to the ever-increasing pressure from environmental regulators as well as rapid escalations in fuel prices. Compounding is of great benefit in this scenario, by producing lightweight and durable materials designed to optimise vehicular performance whilst reducing overall weight. This is mainly due to the lower density of plastic than metals such as steel, which enables them to deliver better durability and mechanical strength despite being lighter in weight, which can in turn improve the vehicle’s fuel efficiency. Estimates from the American Consumer Council corroborate this by claiming that cars in the US using plastics can travel over 1.5km more per litre of petrol than they would without the material.

Major component manufacturers and plastic producers have taken this burgeoning trend into account and are thus engaging in targeted activities to maximise the use of compounded plastics in automotive applications. For instance, in March 2022, Covestro added two new polycarbonate compounding production lines at its New Delhi facility. The objective behind this was to accommodate the growing demand for compounded plastics from automotive industries.

Plastic Omnium also made similar moves by setting up a new 2,700 tonne dual-compound press at its exterior component R&D centre Σ-Sigmatech in Lyon, France. Using the new equipment, the company was aiming to work with automotive producers on proposing, designing and authorising innovative exterior components with strong aesthetics and integrated functionalities.

Plastics are among the most ubiquitous and versatile man-made materials in the modern industrial world. According to estimates from Plastics Europe, plastic production increased from 2,000,000 to 368,000,000 tonnes between 1950 and 2019. From its use in everyday applications such as packaging, to more complex uses such as the fabrication of various industrial and engineering components, the versatility of plastic remains unmatched.