July 19, 2006
Intake Manifold of DuPont™ Zytel® HTN in Audi V-8 Turbo-Diesel
 The two air-intake manifolds, one on each of the two cylinder banks of the V-8 turbo-diesel motor in the Audi A8, are made of Zytel® HTN. |
The German firm of MANN+HUMMEL, a major global partner for the automotive and engineering industries, picked
DuPont Zytel® HTN polyphthalamide for the air-intake manifold in the 4.2 liter diesel motor that powers the Audi A8. Over a long duration, polyamide's mechanical properties can withstand high temperatures, aggressive gases and liquids such as fuels, lubricants, combustion products and brine.
The motor's improved environmental purity created a challenge for the manifold's designers, in the form of higher thermal resistance requirements for this part. The optimized exhaust gas recirculation system alone raises the temperature in the manifold to over 200 °C; it reaches 250 °C for several minutes when soot is burned off to regenerate the particle filter. Such operating conditions require the use of a thermoplastic material whose performance is substantially better than that of conventional nylons.
"As a multifunctional component, it is substantially less costly to produce, and it has proven long-term reliability," said Achim Rehmann, team leader for Air-Intake Manifold Systems.
