Development of a softer molded in color/Paintable RTPO for the Driver Airbag Cover Application

摘要

An increasingly competitive automotive market and the aggressive safety requirements are continuously demanding newer, better and cost effective products from suppliers. Changing perceptions and increasing engineering requirements are also helping evolve the world of automotive plastics. More efficient and economical plastic resins are being developed and are setting a new trend in the automotive market. These newer plastic materials are effectively replacing the traditional plastics, which are more expensive and uneconomical in today's market. Working jointly with Autoliv, the biggest safety restraint manufacturer in the world, a novel material was developed by Huntsman for use in safety restraint systems for driver side air bag covers. The new material is a very flexible olefin that shows excellent air bag deployment properties at the extreme cold temperatures. This new TPO product is suitable for both MIC (molded in color) and paintable applications. A comprehensive assessment of driver airbag cover and the new TPO technology related to these developments will be reviewed.