Welcome to the Automotive Knowledge Center. You'll find a library of helpful information on DuPont Automotive. We've also provided a list of Industry associations with quick links to their web sites.
Annual event sponsored by DuPont and DuPont Performance Elastomers in conjunction with SAE World Congress. This year, Christopher Grundler, EPA, spoke on automotive regulatory trends.
As petroleum prices experience record volatility, automotive OEMs are seeking advanced materials that permit the development of more light weight, fuel efficient vehicles. Thermoplastics are a natural solution since they provide the combination of structural properties with lower material density, along with ease of forming geometrically complicated parts with rapid cycles and with minimal finishing operations. However, new automotive applications are becoming increasingly demanding with regard to chemical exposure, environmental exposure, thermal environment, and load bearing requirements. Addressing these challenges requires a thorough understanding of the application in order to identify appropriate thermoplastic resins and to develop novel resin technologies to extend the performance of structural engineering thermoplastics.
DuPont has recently developed a series of Zytel® HTN "EF" resin (electrically friendly) and other new PPA resins that meet the new, emerging requirements for high voltage connectors and separate thermal control systems in hybrid and plug-in electric vehicles. These emerging requirements are superior tracking resistance (measured by comparative tracking index), high volume resistivity retention with humidity exposure, good ATF resistance, and USCAR Class 4 performance (150°C). The properties of this new class of PPA resins will be discussed, as will other challenges for materials development on the near-term horizon.
Injection Molding Technology: The high glass reinforced Zytel® contains superior flow properties without sacrificing the mechanical properties like elongation or impact. It offers significant advantages to the user, as demonstrated in the article.
High reliability through low-stress encapsulation
Sensors and actuators used in the engine compartment are being exposed to higher temperatures, more aggressive media and more extreme thermomechanical loads than ever before. These combined stresses are imposing requirements that increasingly exceed the capabilities of the polymers traditionally used to encapsulate and mount electronic components. In such cases, switching to engineering polymers that offer higher performance can provide a cost-effective solution.
Because they maintain excellent strength and toughness during exposure to hot, aggressive automotive fluids and to hot air whether humid or dry, high performance polyamides (HPPA) can make durable, functional components for automotive thermal management and other demanding applications. This paper reviews the basic chemistry of polyamides and demonstrates how the HPPA family differs from standard nylon. It focuses on semi-aromatic HPPA polymers known as polyphthalamides (PPA).
Sign up for AutoFocus, the global eNewsletter that delivers the latest sealing news, views and expert opinions on high performance elastomer sealing technology from DuPont Performance Elastomers.
