Most Common Plastics Used in Automotive Manufacturing

Nowadays, in the field of automotive industry, plastics instead of expensive metal materials has become an inevitable trend of development. High-strength engineering plastics can not only reduce parts processing, assembly and maintenance costs, but also make the car more lightweight, energy saving and environmental protection. According to data, plastics and their composites are the most important automotive lightweight materials. It can not only reduce the quality of parts and components of about 40%, but also can make the procurement cost reduced by about 40%, so in recent years in the automobile in the amount of rapid increase, become the "new favorite" of automobile manufacturing.

At present, the automotive plastics in the largest amount of general-purpose plastic varieties are polypropylene (PP), ABS resin, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyethylene (PE) and so on. The following is a list of several mainstream automotive engineering plastics.

Polypropylene (PP)

PP can be used for various automotive components, and currently, there are more than 60 PP plastic parts in typical passenger vehicles. The main types of PP automotive parts include bumpers, dashboards, door trim panels, air conditioning components, battery casings, cooling fans, and steering wheels, with the first five types accounting for over half of the total PP usage in a vehicle.

Polyethylene (PE)

By grafting modification and filling toughening modification of high-density PE and low-density PE resins, a series of modified PE alloy materials with good flexibility, weather resistance, and paintability have been obtained. PE is mainly used in blow molding methods to produce fuel tanks, ventilation pipes, baffles, and various types of storage tanks.

In recent years, the usage of PE in automobiles has remained relatively stable. However, it is worth noting that the development trend of automotive lightweighting has promoted the plasticization of fuel tanks. Plastic fuel tanks, mainly made of high molecular weight high-density polyethylene (HMWHDPE), are officially adopted in European automobiles.

Polyoxymethylene (POM)

Polyoxymethylene (POM) is a thermoplastic that is used in a wide variety of applications due to its excellent mechanical properties, abrasion resistance, oil resistance and chemical resistance.

Friction and abrasion resistance properties: POM materials have very good resistance to abrasion and can keep their structure and performance stable for a long time in the environment of friction and abrasion.

Long-term sliding properties: POM has good resistance to sliding wear properties, making it ideal for parts that require long-term sliding, such as car door handles and seat belt mechanical parts.

Molding fluidity and attractive, glossy surfaces: POM is easy to process and mold, allowing for parts with attractive, glossy surfaces.

Suitable for insert molding: Due to its excellent mechanical properties and abrasion resistance, POM is often used to make inserts that need to withstand heavy loads and friction.

Applications in the automotive industry: POM is widely used in the manufacture of automotive parts, such as steering knuckle bushings, various bracket bushings, front and rear leaf spring bushings and brake bushings. These parts are subject to heavy loads and friction, and the excellent properties of POM make it an ideal material choice.

Three-layer composites: In automotive chassis bushings, three-layer composites are often used, in which POM serves as a friction-reducing layer with excellent friction-reducing and anti-wear properties. This structure combines the mechanical strength and rigidity of steel with the friction-reducing properties of POM, making the part both strong and durable.

Other applications: POM is also used in the manufacture of a variety of mechanical parts, switches, mirrors and other products, its excellent performance and wide range of applicability makes it one of the important engineering plastics.

ABS Resin

ABS resin is a terpolymer of three monomers, acrylonitrile, butadiene and styrene, and can be used to make exterior or interior parts of automobiles such as instrument housings, refrigeration and heating systems, toolboxes, armrests, radiator grills, etc.; it can also be used to make instrument panel skins, luggage compartments, and sundry compartment covers.

In recent years, ABS resin in the automobile on the amount of increase is not very large, which is mainly due to ABS resin and PP resin competition is very fierce, and ABS itself also exists in poor weather discoloration, flammable and other aspects of the defects, so it is in the automobile on the main parts of the car such as automobile instrument panels, grills and other aspects of the application of the limitations.

Polyamide (PA)

Polyamide, commonly known as nylon, has high impact strength, friction and abrasion resistance, heat resistance, chemical resistance, lubrication and coloring properties. The use of PA as an automotive structural component is on the rise and can be used in harsh environments around engines.

Automotive accessories Alpine mold made