INFORMATION & IDEAS
General Motors’ use of DuPont™ Zytel® PLUS nylon for its Ecotec 2.0-liter turbo powering Cadillac CTS vehicles captured the ‘Most Innovative Use of Plastics” Award in the Materials category from the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Automotive Division. The award-winning engine-appearance and acoustic cover is molded by Camoplast Polymer Solutions, Richmond, Quebec, Canada.
As alternative drive vehicles evolve, the challenges only multiply. DuPont is working with automotive manufacturers to help them improve efficiency and range in today’s hybrid and electric vehicles, and further the development of the fuel-cell powered vehicles of tomorrow.
DuPont helps its customers outpace the competition by bringing the Miracles of Science™ and materials-based solutions to help drive vehicle design and development.
At DuPont’s Asian automotive centers, automakers and OEMs collaborate with the DuPont network of 9,500 scientists and engineers to solve critical challenges, including reducing emissions, improving fuel economy, increasing vehicle safety, and increasing the speed to market of those solutions.
Ford, Fiat and Toyota walked away with innovation awards at the 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers “Most Innovative Use of Plastics Awards” event for components that use two renewably sourced DuPont materials — DuPont™ Zytel® RS nylon and DuPont™ Sorona® EP polymer — and one component using DuPont™ Hytrel® TPC-ET.
Toyota's new hybrid vehicle, "Prius α" (Prius alpha), features automotive interior parts made of DuPont™ Sorona® EP polymer, a high-performance, renewably sourced thermoplastic resin, contributing to the advanced interior design while also reducing the environmental footprint.
See how we make car armoring affordable and accessible for Brazil’s families.
DuPont materials and solutions help automakers control car manufacturing costs while meeting tough regulatory compliance guidelines.
For maximum protection against fires, the body must be covered as completely as possible with flame-resistant protective clothing. This requires long pants and long sleeves, making for hot work in warm and humid climates. Understandably, industrial workers may be concerned about potential heat stress when wearing protective apparel. Learn more about the factors that can lead to heat stress, and how DuPont brands can help offer comfort and protection in protective garments.
DuPont is working with our auto industry collaborators to help them develop the next generation of sustainable mobility solutions. Together, we’re helping reduce dependence on fossil fuels and lower greenhouse gas emissions to help manage the environmental impact associated with the world’s increasing demand for automotive mobility.
Bio-based products are a critical component of DuPont’s efforts to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. When it comes to bio-based products, DuPont science is innovating across the entire development chain, from seeds and feedstocks through proprietary fermentation and chemical processes to the final high-performance, economically efficient products our customers demand.
With global biofuel use expected to double by 2015, DuPont has developed a new generation of heat-, pressure- and chemical-resistant elastomers for fuel system components that can withstand aggressive fuel environments.
DuPont is powering industrial biotechnology innovation, meeting some of the world’s (and our customers’) most daunting challenges with ground-breaking enzyme technology, improved biorefinery processes, and renewably-sourced biomaterials that overdeliver on performance.
DuPont is working with automakers to develop materials that help optimize engine efficiency. Focus areas include heat and friction management, exhaust gas recirculation, and re-imagining turbocharger technology or injection systems for mainstream vehicle production.
Several high-performance material families —DuPont™ Zytel® long chain polyamide product family comprising 612 and renewably sourced 610 and 1010.
Many of today’s vehicle system environments are like a pressure cooker of aggressive chemicals. Very few materials have the right combination of characteristics to withstand that kind of severe treatment. DuPont is at the forefront of the development of the latest generation of high performance materials.
Using glucose as the basis for Bio-PDO™, a bio-based monomer, DuPont created a renewably sourced ingredient for biobased fibers like DuPont™ Sorona®, which is used in everyday products, like carpet and apparel.
DuPont™ Vamac® ethylene acrylic elastomer (AEM) has been chosen by Huber + Suhner AG, Switzerland, a leading supplier of automotive cable systems, as insulation for battery cables supplied to Fiat, Ford, Jaguar, GM/Holden and Renault, and also as screened insulation cables for hybrid prototypes and the fully electric Tesla Roadster.
Car efficiency can be improved using Zytel® PLUS, a low-weight performance nylon that reduces the weight of automobiles and their need for gas.
DuPont Automotive has the broadest range of high-performance materials for hybrid and electric vehicles, which play an ever more important role in helping to reduce carbon emissions and dependence on petroleum. With its deep application expertise, DuPont helps automakers quickly develop more efficient, safer, lighter vehicles.
DuPont high-performance materials for turbochargers and emissions systems can withstand the high heat and corrosive fluids in downsized engines, and reduce friction and improve wear for components.
In August of 2011, DuPont™ Sorona® received Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 Class 1 Certification — third-party verification that Sorona® polymer meets the most stringent safety standards and is suitable for a wide range of carpet and textile applications including those intended for babies and toddlers.
Operational Discipline Eight Step Approach
Global Process Safety Management Leader
DuPont™ Opteon™ yf (HFO-1234yf) is a new refrigerant with a GWP of 4, which exceeds the EU MAC Directive by 97 percent. Developed in partnership with Honeywell, Opteon™ yf refrigerant is an energy-efficient, safe and easy-to-implement solution, delivering environmental, industry and consumer benefits.
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Global Process Safety Management Leader
DuPont renewably sourced automotive interior materials help automakers support sustainability efforts without sacrificing performance. Materials include DuPont™ Sorona® fiber for carpeting and seat upholstery, DuPont™ Sorona® EP thermoplastic polymer for injection molding applications such as vent louvers, and DuPont™ Hytrel® RS thermoplastic elastomer for airbag systems.
The plant-derived DuPont™ Zytel® RS 610 nylon resin that debuts on a new automotive radiator end tank from DENSO Corp. illustrates the benefits of close collaboration throughout the value chain and marks the first use of DuPont renewably-sourced plastic in mechanical components exposed to the hot, chemically aggressive underhood environment.
Recent testing of DuPont™ Vamac® ultra ethylene acrylic elastomers (AEM) and new grades of DuPont™ Zytel® nylon resins and semi aromatic DuPont™ Zytel® HTN in aggressive AdBlue* aqueous urea solution has demonstrated the effectiveness of these products for selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems used to reduce NOx emissions from diesel engines.
From reduced consumption of non-renewable energy resulting in a reduced dependence on oil to reduced CO2 emissions, the cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment shows the sustainability benefits of Sorona® versus petroleum-based materials like nylon.
Today’s automotive design professionals must resolve competing needs: greater fuel economy, CO2 emissions reduction, lower costs, and improved performance, safety, and comfort. DuPont’s integrated global application development teams focus on eight automotive themes to guide the development of innovative, science-driven solutions.
DuPont opens Innovation Center, in Troy, Michigan. 8th Innovation Center with a thought-leader panel discussing how innovation and collaboration dominate the auto industry landscape
DuPont automotive solutions give automotive engineers a wide range of vehicle design options, including technologies for noise reduction, longer-lasting, more vibrant textiles, more sustainable air conditioning solutions, and more stylish LED systems.
DuPont vehicle safety solutions help increase safety across the whole automotive value chain, from employee safety on the production floor to driver and passenger safety on the road.
Vehicle weight reduction is a major challenge. While plastics are inherently lighter than metals, lightweighting requires more than direct material substitution. DuPont predictive engineering and design teams work with customers, using insight and high-performance DuPont materials to redesign for lower weight, often integrating functions to cut costs at the same time.
Engine downsizing, lightweighting, turbocharging, direct injection, and exhaust gas recirculation are all responses to the drive for greater fuel economy, higher engine efficiency and lower CO2 emissions. But these advances come at a price. They generate more heat, and involve more aggressive gases, fluids, and acidic gas/air mixtures, often under high pressure.