Automotive lightweight plastics applications

Plastics are equally promising in the automotive industry. At present, many cars in the world of plastic consumption has more than 120 kg / car, individual models are higher, the German Mercedes Benz Advanced Car Plastic usage has reached 150 kg / vehicle. Some domestic cars have reached 90 kg / kg of plastic. It is foreseeable that with the acceleration of the automotive lightweight process, plastics in the automotive applications will be more widely. The light weight of plastic makes plastic as raw material. It is widely used in the field of auto parts. From the internal parts to the outer parts and the structural parts, the figure of plastic parts can be seen everywhere. At present, the developed countries have the car how much amount of plastic, as an important symbol to measure the level of automobile manufacturing and design from the modern automobile materials used to see, whether it is external decoration, interior decoration, or function and structure, can see the plastic figure everywhere.

The development of plastic automobile industry is closely related to the development of plastic industry. In recent years, vehicle lightweight has become an effective measure to reduce vehicle emissions and improve combustion efficiency. It is also the main direction of the development of automotive materials. It makes the amount of plastics in automobiles rapidly rise. At present, the developed countries have measured the amount of plastic used as an important sign to measure the level of automobile design and manufacture.

Statistics show that the average weight of the automobile parts is reduced by 1%, and the fuel consumption can be reduced by 1%; the moving parts can be saved by 2% every 1% reduction. The quality of foreign cars has been reduced by 20% - 26% compared with the past. It is expected that in the next 10 years, the car's own weight will continue to be reduced by 20%. The development and application of lightweight materials, such as plastics, play an important role in the lightweight process of automobiles.

The greatest advantage of plastics in plastic applications is to reduce the weight of the car. The proportion of general plastics in 0.9 - 1.5, fiber reinforced composite material will not exceed 2, while the proportion of metal materials, A3 steel is 7.6, brass 8.4, aluminum 2.7. This makes plastic material become the preferred material for car lightweight. Looking at the materials used in modern automobiles, whether they are exterior decoration, interior decoration, or function and structure, the shadow of plastic parts can be seen everywhere. Application of outer decoration is the "plastic steel", reduce vehicle weight, the main components of a bumper, fender, wheel cover, guide plate; the main components of internal decoration with dashboard, door inner panel, side panel, glove box cover, seat, rear fender; structure and function a main oil tank, radiator water chamber, air filter cover, fan blades etc..

Automotive lightweight enables rapid expansion of the plastic market, including polypropylene, polyurethane, PVC, thermoset composites, ABS, nylon and polyethylene. In the past two years, the largest variety of automotive plastics, polypropylene, has grown at an annual rate of 2.2% - 2.8%. By 2020, the average amount of plastic used by developed countries will reach more than 500 kg / car.

At present, foreign automotive interior parts have been basically plastic, and plastic applications in automobiles are expanding from the internal parts, the body and the structure. In the future, the emphasis will be on developing reinforced plastic composites, high performance resin materials and plastics for structural parts and outer parts, and paying great attention to the recyclability of materials. Statistics show that the average amount of plastic used per car in the world has reached 105 kilograms in 2000, accounting for about 8% - 12% of the total weight of automobiles. In developed countries, the average amount of plastic used in bicycles is 120 kilograms, accounting for 12% - 20% of the total weight of automobiles. Such as Audi A2 sedan, the total weight of plastic parts has reached 220 kilograms, accounting for 24.6% of total timber. At present, the developed countries have accounted for 7% - 8% of the total consumption of plastic, and it is expected to reach 10% - 11% soon.

For China, the application of plastics in the automotive industry is still in its infancy. At present, plastic and other non-metallic materials in the domestic car applications are not comparable to imported cars. In Europe, the weight of automotive plastics accounted for 20% of the car's own weight, with an average of nearly 300 kilograms of plastic used per German car, accounting for 22% of the total weight of the car. Compared with foreign countries, the amount of non-metallic materials used in domestic cars is still low. The average amount of plastic used for domestic bicycles is 78 kg, and the plastic dosage only accounts for 5% - 10% of the weight of the car.