By Karen Hanna
Tasked with meeting the special demands presented by longer-range batteries and the growing array of sensors in new automotive technologies — including self-driving and electric vehicles (EVs) — materials suppliers are poised for growth in a burgeoning market.
For materials suppliers, the market offers a lot of potential, according to Leanne Trevelline, market and brand communications manager for Lanxess North America
“We can state quite clearly that the use of plastics will increase in the course of e-mobility, automation of driving functions and networking,” she said.
Since forming a team focused on applications related to the electrified powertrain in 2018, as well as a group focused on e-mobility and battery technology in 2020, Lanxess is one company that hopes to leverage new opportunities in the auto industry.
“In automated driving, the use of plastics is primarily driven by the number of sensors installed,” Trevelline said. "This increases steadily with the level of automation in order to cover all safety and comfort requirements.”
Demand for the sensors means there’s more need for an array of resins, including polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) and laser-weldable materials, such as PA6 or PA66. Flame retardants, too, are critical.
Lanxess’ extensive portfolio of new materials, includes a halogen-free flame retardant and hydrolysis-stabilized PBT, as well as a precolored solvent dye called Macrolex Orange HT. At the K Show, the company also plans to spotlight its Tepex dynalite line of composities — including a material for a polyamide PA6 matrix.
“Our high-performance plastics and composites are especially useful for electric vehicles, as they reduce weight in key components, such as front ends and battery housings, helping to increase range efficiency. They also have great potential for infrastructure, such as charging stations, wall boxes, and in sensors, displays and control units for autonomous driving,” Trevelline said. “Additionally, we are a leading manufacturer of numerous specialty chemical products that are necessary for modern battery systems — such as phosphorus chemicals, hydrofluoric acid and flame retardants.”
Lanxess’ new PBT — the first material in the company’s Pocan BFN HR product line, which is designed for environments with demanding electric insulating properties at high humidity and elevated temperatures — has outstanding electrical properties and performs well in the operating conditions of high-voltage connectors, said Bernhard Helbich, technical marketing manager of key accounts for Lanxess’ High Performance Materials business unit.
Appropriate for the manufacture of sensor housings, the PBT is reinforced with glass fibers, which make up one-quarter of its weight. Two grades are available — Pocan BFN4231HR and Pocan BFN4231HRE — with temperature resistance up to 302 degrees Fahrenheit. The materials perform well in the operating conditions of high-voltage connectors. For applications that require markings for safety, the products can be colored orange or other bright colors.
Required on components that carry high voltages, the color orange is a common sight under the hood of electric and hybrid vehicles, where it alerts mechanics and first responders to the risk of electrical shock. A soluble organic Lanxess dye introduced in November 2021, Macrolex Orange HT, meets this need, producing an RAL 2003 shade of orange. It’s bright, heat-stable and weather-resistant, and, unlike some colorants, which are useful only for PA, it can be used on PC and polyphenylene sulfide.
Finally, among the company’s other product highlights, Lanxess plans to show off its Tepex dynalite line, a portfolio of high-performance fiber-reinforced composite sheets that can be fully embedded in a thermoplastic matrix such as PA6, PA66, PP, PC and TPU. The materials can be used in structural and semi-structural automotive components, as well as in electronic housings and sporting goods.
“The thermoplastic matrix enables high-production efficiency as the thermoforming of the so-called Tepex organo sheets can be combined with well-established processes, like thermoplastic injection molding,” said Dirk Bonefeld, head of Global Product Management (Tepex), High Performance Materials business unit.
At their end of life, the sheets can be 100 percent recycled, he said.
“With these construction materials, we want to help our customers to make more sustainable products that have a smaller carbon footprint, conserve resources and protect the climate,” Bonefeld said.
New matrices incorporating a number of resins — including PA10.10, PA6, PA66, PP and PC — are available. At least one of the products can be used in front-end carriers, seat shells or battery consoles; a second product imparts a forged carbon look.
“We see good opportunities for these products in applications that at once require high-class decor and high-grade mechanical properties — such as in car interiors and exteriors or in housings for consumer electronics,” Bonefeld said.
Lanxess will exhibit at Hall 6, Booths C76-C78.
Karen Hanna, senior staff reporter
Contact:
Lanxess Corp., Pittsburgh, 412-809-1000, https://lanxess.us
Karen Hanna | Senior Staff Reporter
Senior Staff Reporter Karen Hanna covers injection molding, molds and tooling, processors, workforce and other topics, and writes features including In Other Words and Problem Solved for Plastics Machinery & Manufacturing, Plastics Recycling and The Journal of Blow Molding. She has more than 15 years of experience in daily and magazine journalism.
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