Developing a high-performance interior Lightweight Polypropylene Compound

摘要

The automotive industry is spending considerable resources developing methods to reduce vehicle weight and is considering a broad array of 'green' technologies to reduce the overall environmental impact of vehicle design. Lightweighting initiatives in the automotive industry continue to be a driving force in the development of new lower density and higher performance composites. The European Parliament has set CO_2 emission performance standards for new passenger cars in the form of Regulation (EC) No. 443/2009 and with the continued development of vehicles using alternative energy sources, the demand for lighter weight and structurally sound automotive parts may now be at an all-time high. This paper summarizes the technical development of a product that does both - a low-density automotive resin that utilizes recycled resin while meeting automotive lightweight and interior specifications. This Lightweight Polypropylene Compound (LPC) leverages sophisticated recycled resin formulation technology and a reinforcing additive to achieve this performance.