Plastics offer all-round advantages in new-generation vehicles

The focus at the Lanxess (Leverkusen, Germany) stand at the recent Fakuma show in Friedrichshafen, Germany was on lightweight construction solutions for vehicles and flame-retardant materials for electromobility. Besides nylon composite sheets and polyamide truck pans, the resin supplier also presented flame-retardant thermoplastics for electric cars and materials for molding truck cabs.

Light weight, electrical performance, and processability are just some of the enablers offered by the latest plastics for the latest vehicles.

Use of flame-retardant plastics in electric cars is expected to increase according to Lanxess owing to the high currents and voltages in the area of the battery and drive. At Fakuma, Lanxess exhibited a battery disconnect unit that cuts the flow of current from the battery to the electric motor in the event of a crash. This unit is made of a low-distortion, reinforced, highly effective flame-retardant Durethan polyamide 6 grade. A control unit made of Pocan B 4235 polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) for automatic start-stop systems in cars was also on show.

Various PBT compounds for moldings in truck cabs are a further area of focus for Lanxess. "Our materials are frequently an alternative to SMC or metal for manufacturing fenders, radiator grilles, wind deflectors and access steps, for example. This is because they result in components that do not require reworking, generate little waste, involve short cycle times, often weigh noticeably less and, depending on requirements, can also be used without a coating, thanks to their excellent surface quality," says Lars Kraus, head of Technical Marketing Services at Lanxess' Semi-Crystalline Products business unit.-[email protected]