Engineering plastics for cars enter a period of rapid development

The lightweight of the car is to reduce the curb weight of the car as much as possible on the premise of ensuring the strength and safety function of the car, and then improve the power of the car, reduce fuel consumption and reduce exhaust pollution. Experiments have proved that the quality of cars will be reduced by half, and the fuel consumption will also be reduced by nearly half. At that time, due to the demand of environmental protection and energy saving, the lightweight of cars has become the trend of car development in the world. The car lightweight enables the rapid expansion of plastic shopping malls including polypropylene, polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, thermosetting composite materials, ABS, nylon and polyethylene. In the past two years, polypropylene, the largest type of automotive plastics, has been added at a rate of 2.2% ~ 2.8% every year. It is estimated that by 2020, the average plastic consumption of cars in developed countries will reach more than 500kg / vehicle.

1 engineering plastics

Engineering plastics highlight advantages vehicle plastics enter the rapid development period

Engineering plastics (PA, pet, POM, PC and PPO) have high functions and can replace metal materials. They are superior in strength and heat resistance to general plastics (PE, PP, PVC, ABS and other thermoplastics). They are mainly used in car interior, exterior and functional structural parts. Engineering plastics used for exterior fittings can reduce the dead weight of cars, which is one of the most effective ways to reduce car emissions and improve incineration power. It is reported that if the mass of the car is reduced by 10%, the fuel consumption can be reduced by 6% ~ 8%. 100kg plastic is functionally equivalent to 200300kg metal parts. Therefore, it can be inferred that 750L fuel can be saved if the car travels 150000 km evenly. In terms of safety, the resistance of engineering plastics is not inferior to, or even higher than, metal. The appearance, seat, headrest and other products made of elastomer and foamed plastic that can absorb impact energy and sensation energy can reduce the damage to human body during collision and improve the safety factor of cars. Structural parts are mostly made of high-strength engineering plastics. For example, plastic is used as some parts on the fuel tank, engine and chassis to reduce the quality, reduce the cost and simplify the process.

As the advantages of engineering plastics are more and more recognized and accepted by the car industry, the application of engineering plastics in cars has increased significantly in recent years. Developed countries regard the amount of plastic used in cars as an important symbol to measure the level of car planning and production. China has become a big country of car production and consumption in the world. If we want to further develop into a car production base in the world, we must quickly develop the car parts industry including car plastic parts. Together, the car information is gradually carried out in the direction of lightweight and environmental protection. Replacing steel with plastic can not only reduce the vehicle weight, but also the data can be recovered and reused, so as to save the waste of resources in the production process. Finally, the car can make more breakthroughs in environmental protection, energy conservation and cost reduction, and also help to improve the safety, comfort and planning flexibility of the car.

As a pillar industry in China, the car industry is developing rapidly. However, the consumption share of engineering plastics in the domestic car industry is far lower than the world average level. The application of engineering plastics in the car industry should be increased. On the one hand, it will promote the development of China' s engineering plastics industry, on the other hand, it will help to promote the process of car localization. With the increasing acceleration of the localization process of China' s car industry, the car industry will be one of the fastest categories of engineering plastics consumption in the future.

From the perspective of world scale, developed countries began to discuss the application of plastics in cars as early as the 1950s. Through decades of practice, it has been greatly carried out. At present, the market scale of plastic products for cars in the world is 4.54 million t/a, including 1.72 million tons in the United States and 1.36 million tons in Europe. Automotive plastics in foreign developed regions account for 7% ~ 11% of the total consumption of plastics. The presentation of new materials and new molding skills makes the consumption of plastic products in the car industry increase day by day. Nearly 300kg of plastic products are used in every car in Germany, accounting for about 22% of the total consumption of car materials. Germany is the country with the largest selection of plastic parts for cars in the world: 100kg of plastic is used in every car in Japan, It accounts for about 7.5% of the total consumption of car materials.

Engineering plastics is the fastest growing material in the development of plastic industry. Compared with general plastics, engineering plastics have more excellent functions. Now the interior parts of foreign cars have basically been plasticized, and the application scale of plastics in cars is expanding from interior parts to exterior parts, body and structural parts. The key development direction in the future is to develop reinforced plastic composite materials, high-function resin materials and plastics for structural parts and external fittings, and attach great importance to the recoverability of materials. Statistics show that the average plastic consumption of each car in the world reached 105kg in 2000, accounting for about 8% ~ 12% of the total weight of cars. In developed countries, the average amount of single car plastic used is 120kg, accounting for 12% ~ 20% of the total amount of cars. For example, for Audi A2 car, the total weight of plastic parts has reached 220kg, accounting for 24.6% of the total materials. At present, automotive plastics in developed countries have accounted for 7% ～ 8% of the total consumption of plastics, and it is estimated that it will reach 10% ～ 11% in the near future. In China, the application of plastics in the car industry is still in its infancy. For example, the share of nylon in the car industry is two-thirds of that in foreign countries, one-half of polycarbonate, one-third of POM, one-fifth of thermoplastic polyurethane and one-third of polyphenylene oxide. At present, the amount of plastic used in vehicles in China is 5060kg for each economical car, 4050kg for light and medium-sized trucks and 80kg for trucks; The medium and high-class car is 100130kg, which is only appropriate to the level of the 1990s abroad. At present, the application of non-metallic materials such as plastics in domestic cars is not as good as that of imported cars. In Europe, the amount of automotive plastics accounts for 20% of the weight of cars. On average, each German car uses nearly 300kg of plastics, accounting for 22% of the total amount of cars. Compared with foreign countries, the consumption of non-metallic materials for domestic vehicles is still relatively small. The average amount of plastic used in domestic cars is 78kg, accounting for only 5% ~ 10% of the car' s deadweight.

It is reported that the national development and Reform Commission has formulated relevant policies. First, it actively encourages the development of independent brand cars, second, it accelerates the localization process of car parts, and third, it restricts the fuel consumption standards of cars. In addition, due to the price rise of raw materials in recent years, many vehicle manufacturers have loosened the constraints of designated suppliers in order to reduce costs, which undoubtedly provides an excellent opportunity for spare parts manufacturers and plastic material suppliers. China' s automotive plastics have entered a period of rapid development.

2 nylon (PA)

Polyamide is commonly known as nylon and its English name is polyamide (PA). Nylon is the most important engineering plastic for car industry. Nylon is mainly used for car starter and peripheral parts. The main types are gfp:a6, gfpa66, reinforced flame retardant PA6 and other products. Because the peripheral parts of the starter are mainly heating and vibration parts, most of the materials used for the parts are glass fiber reinforced nylon. This is because nylon has a good inductive function. The primary functions of nylon modified with glass fiber have made great progress, such as strength, product accuracy, dimensional stability, etc. With the miniaturization of cars, the high functionality of electronic and electrical equipment, and the acceleration of the lightweight process of mechanical equipment, the demand for nylon will be higher and greater. In particular, nylon, as a structural material, puts forward high requirements for its strength, heat resistance, cold resistance and so on. The inherent defect of nylon is also an important factor that restricts its application. Especially for PA6 and PA66, they have a strong price advantage compared with PA46 and PAL2, although some functions are not satisfied with the requirements for the development of relevant occupations. Therefore, it is necessary to expand a certain application category by modifying and improving some of its functions. In addition, there are many kinds of nylon, which is easy to recover and use, and the price is relatively low. These factors make nylon an ideal choice for the peripheral parts of the initiator. The intake manifold is the most typical application of modified nylon in cars. BMW first applied the intake manifold made of glass fiber reinforced nylon to the six cylinder engine; In the future, Ford and DuPont cooperated to use the intake manifold made of glass fiber reinforced p:a66 on the V6 engine. In the future, major car companies around the world followed suit, and the modified nylon intake manifold was widely used. Generally, modified nylon is used as the preferred material for engine cover, engine decoration cover, cylinder head cover and other components. Compared with metal materials, the weight of cylinder head cover is reduced by 50% and the cost is reduced by 30%. In addition to the engine parts, other stressed parts of the car can also use reinforced nylon, such as oil filter, wiper, radiator grille, etc.

Car parts are also the largest consumer mall of PA6 engineering plastics, exceeding one third of the total consumption. With the continuous progress of people's functional requirements for cars and the development of PA6 engineering plastics, PA6 for cars is increasing year by year. The components that can be made of PA6 (including modified products) on the car include air filter, shell, fan, wheelhouse, deflector, interior decoration, water storage equipment cover, line card, various interior electrical connectors, etc. Pa6/abs has the characteristics of low density, good fluidity, good noise damping, good heat resistance, chemical resistance and mechanical function. It can be used in car interior trim parts; Glass fiber reinforced PA / ABS can replace ABS as car exhaust grille, and may be used as car exhaust grille, defroster grille and door assembly, as well as the manufacture of motorcycle baffle. Now PA9T has also been used in Japanese car industry, such as power shuttle equipment (gear structure) and rolling bearing frame. PA9T has strong fuel resistance and is suitable for making fuel system components of cars. In addition, it can also be used to make central cooler tank, starter support and sliding parts requiring low friction coefficient.

Under the impact of the financial crisis, the global PA66 shopping malls have shrunk, and several major nylon manufacturers have also carried out business divestiture and integration. Several factories have even stopped production. Therefore, the sources of PA66 in the world are appropriately limited, with only a handful of fiveorsix enterprises. At present, the consumption and import of PA66 in China is the largest in the world. The anti-dumping measures of the Chinese government may lead to a rise in the price of PA66 products in domestic shopping malls. At present, the price of the same PA66 product sold by foreign companies in China's shopping malls is about 7% higher than that in Europe. At present, the application of PA66 has been developed from tire cord fabric to car parts, power and electronic devices. At present, the weight of PA66 injection molded parts used in the mechanical parts of an ordinary car produced in Germany reaches 13kg. This is still being added. It is estimated that in the next few years, the addition rate of engineering plastic products in the field of car manufacturing will be about 20%. At present, 80% of PA66 in China is still used to produce tire cord fabric, and there will be no limit to the number of shopping malls in the future. FAW has established the processing production line of PA66 intake manifold, and FAW is also preparing to build it. With the development of car industry, other car manufacturers will choose PA66 intake manifold. In this way, the application of PA66 products in the car industry will have a large increase. In addition to PA66, with the development of China's car industry, the consumption of some long carbon chain nylon, such as PA11 and PA12, is also increasing year by year, exceeding 3000t per year. These products still need to be imported.

3 polyester (PET)

　　聚酯是由二元醇(或多元醇)和二元酸(或多元酸)缩聚而成的高分子化合物的总称。包含聚酯树脂、聚酯纤维、聚酯酸胶等。聚酯归于高分子化合物，是石油化工的基础原资料，以精对苯二甲酸(PTA)和乙二醇(EG)为质料，通过酯化和缩聚工序而成。聚酯70％用于纺织纤维切片，用作纺制各种规格的涤纶短纤维，是供应涤纶纤维企业加工纤维及相关产品的质料，涤纶作为化纤中产值最大的种类，占有着化纤职业近80％的商场份额，也用于轮胎帘子布等范畴。因而聚酯系列的商场变化和开展趋势是化纤职业重视的要点。聚酯广泛运用于包装业、电子电器、医疗卫生、建筑、轿车等范畴，其中包装是聚酯最大的化纤运用商场，一起也是PET添加最快的范畴。能够说聚酯切片是连接石化产品和多个职业产品的一个重要中心产品。

　　在轿车制作范畴，PBT广泛地用于出产保险杠、化油器组件、挡泥板、扰流板、火花塞端子板、供油体系零件、外表盘、轿车点火器、加速器及离合器踏板等部件。PBT与增强PA、PC、POM在轿车制作业中的竞赛十分激烈，PA易吸水，PC的耐热性不及PBT；在轿车用处接管方面，因为PBT的抗吸水性优于PA，将会逐渐取代PA。在相对湿度较高、十分湿润的情况下，因为湿润易引起塑性下降，电器节点处容易引起腐蚀，常可运用改性PBT。在80℃、90％相对湿度下，PBT仍能正常运用，并且效果很好。

　　PBT加工功能和绝缘功能较好。PBT玻璃化温度低，加工周期短。PC／PBT、PBT／ABS等首要用於轿车内饰件。此外，由於PBT对汽油、发起机油的耐受性好，PBT也用於轿车发起机体系配件资料的出产。GE公司的PBT／PC合金，产品名为Xenoy1731，在高级轿车中运用最为广泛；它的耐热性好，耐应力开裂，耐磨、耐化学腐蚀性，低温冲击强度高，易加工和涂饰性好，首要运用于高档轿车保险杠，车底板，面板等。

　　聚氨酯资料因其优胜的物理功能被广泛运用于消音海绵、吸音海绵、隔音海绵出产。一起聚氨酯海绵高消音才能被运用于：车辆建造、轿车(重型机械)工业、轨道车辆、航天运用、工厂建筑消音及楼宇消音保温工程、产品包装及衬垫、发电机组消音、空调、声学实验室、音乐录音棚、音箱、试音室、测绘室、KTv房、星级宾馆等职业与场所。现在车辆的座椅多用聚氨酯泡沫资料制，聚氨酯隔音海绵技能被很多用于轿车内饰出产，而我国轿车职业产销两旺，将进一步带动聚氨酯隔音海绵需求的添加，车用聚氨酯隔音海绵也将成为聚氨酯海绵需求添加亮点。

　　我国是聚酯出产大国，年产值超越2000万t，首要用于纺织职业，诸如服用纤维和工业长丝等。进入新世纪来，纺织商场呈现供大于求，加上世界原油价格连续上扬，造成聚酯职业竞赛激烈，产品竞相压价，由此造成一些聚酯切片出产企业和下流企业处于微利或亏损边缘。

　　6聚苯醚(PPO)

　　聚苯醚PPO无毒、透明、相对密度小，具有优秀的机械强度、耐应力松懈、抗蠕变性、耐热性、耐水性、耐水蒸汽性、尺度稳定性。在很宽温度、频率规模内电功能好，不水解、成型收缩率小，难燃有自熄性，耐无机酸、碱、耐芳香烃、卤代烃、油类等功能差，易溶胀或应力开裂，首要缺陷是熔融流动性差，加工成型困难，实践运用大部分为MPPO(PPO共混物或合金)，如用Ps改性PPO，可大大改善加工功能，改进耐应力开裂性和冲击功能，下降本钱，仅仅耐热性和光泽略有下降。改性聚合物有PS(包含HIPS)、PA、PTFE、PBT、PPS和各种弹性体，聚硅氧烷，PS改性PPO前史长，产品量大，MPPO是用量最大的通用工程塑料合金种类。比较大的MPPO种类有PPO／P

　　文章源自：江门工程塑料 http://www.wywantong.com/