Applications
- Mud flaps
- Thermal and sound insulation
- Sheathing and jacketing
- Component housings
- Switches and sockets
- Connectors
- Bearings and bushings
- Gaskets, washers, spacers
- Fluid lines
- Wiring harnesses
- Power train components
- Internal transmission parts including transmission gears
- Bed liners
- Wheel well liners
- Trunk liners
- Car covers and protection panels
- Moisture barriers
- Truck trailer skirts
- Electric vehicle charging stations
Advantages
- Lightweight for increased fuel efficiency
- Recyclable
- Corrosion, abrasion and fatigue resistant
- Wide range of stiffness, tensile strength and creep resistant
- Surface finish and appearance
- Low wear
- Low moisture absorption
- Thermoformability
- Weatherability
- High lubricity, self-lubrication, low coefficient of friction
- Low warpage
- Solid color, eliminating painting
Materials
- Acetal (POM)
- Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS)
- Acrylic (PMMA)
- Long Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastics (LFRT)
- Nylon (PA)
- Polyamideimide (PAI)
- Polyetheretherketone (PEEK)
- Polybutylene (PBT)
- Polycarbonate (PC)
- Polyethylene (PE)
- Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)
- Polypropylene (PP)
- Polyurethane (PUR)
- Polyetherimide (PEI)
- Polyphenylene Oxide (PPO)
- Polyphenylsulfone (PPS)
Did you know?
More than 50 percent of a typical car is composed of plastics and polymer composites, but those materials account for only approximately 10 percent of vehicle weight.
Sustainability Advantages of Performance Plastics
Fuel Efficiency
- Using plastics instead of alternative materials can make vehicles require less fuel, saving 89 million gallons of gasoline and diesel for North America-produced vehicles in a year.
- A lightweight front-end support reduces energy use, equivalent to saving 770,000 gallons of gasoline over the life of 70,666 cars.
- Reducing a vehicle's weight by 10% with plastic components can increase its fuel economy by 5-7%.
Weight and Consumption
- Replacing traditional materials with lightweight ones like polymer composites can reduce a vehicle's body and chassis weight by up to 50%.
- Using lightweight components and high-efficiency engines could save more than 5 billion gallons of fuel annually by 2030.
- A 220-pound decrease in vehicle weight leads to a 3-5% decrease in carbon emissions, varying with vehicle size and powertrain type.
Design and Emissions
The 2017 ultralight automotive design, which included various materials like aluminum and plastic, achieved a 40% mass reduction. This simultaneously decreased the greenhouse gas emissions and primary energy demand per door by notable margins.