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nologies. The sandwich structure with the
structural foam ROHACELL® and carbon
fibers makes the body 60–70 percent lighter
than a comparable steel structure. Evonik
applied a new resin infusion process with an
innovative epoxy resin formula based on the
VESTAMIN® hardener technology to manufacture
it. This process allows for class-A sur-
veStAMID® Htplus in mass-produced gearshift levers
The high-performance polymer VESTAMID®
HTplus is making gearshift levers lighter.
A leading automotive OEM in Europe is now
using Evonik polyphthalamides (PPA) in the
serial production of a gearshift lever part. The
Turkish company Eurotec AS has compounded
the high-performance polymer specifically
for this purpose.
“Our decision in favor of VESTAMID®
HTplus M1000 was based on the good processing
characteristics and the outstanding
mechanical properties of the material,” says
Reha Gür, commercial director at Eurotec.
“This allowed us to offer the OEM a customized
product based on their future expectations
that not only weighs less, but is also
more economical than a previous solution and
bringing fast production possibilities with
environmentally friendly behavior.”
The original gearshift lever component
had been made of metal. Because of the special
property profile of PPA, Eurotec
switched its production to the high-performance
polymer. Other arguments in favor
of using PPA included high resistance to
faces and reliable quality in the serial manufacture
of composite automotive body parts.
Side windows made of PLEXIGLAS® also
contributed to the weight reduction, as they
have a weight-saving potential of 40–50 percent
compared to conventional mineral glass.
Vehicles with less weight and high power
have to be safe and sustainable on the road.
lubricants and oils that are typically present
in clutch systems.
In addition to high chemical resistance,
molded parts made from VESTAMID® HTplus
offer high dimensional stability and excellent
mechanical properties such as rigidity and
tensile strength. The high-performance polymer
is therefore ideally suited for use in conventional
metal applications.
High-performance plastics: Certified bio-based
The VESTAMID® Terra family of polyamides
from Evonik Industries has been certified as
“bio-based” by independent institutes. The
bio-based components have been certified
according to DIN ISO 10694, 1996-08, and
by the USDA’s Biopreferred® program. These
official laboratories used C14 trace carbon
analytics to verify that the carbon in these
prod ucts originates not from petroleum, but
biomass instead.
The polymers are partially or entirely
based on renewable feedstocks. The starting
material is the castor bean (Ricinus communis)
and its oil derivates, which are synthesized
into monomers that form the basis of the
polyamides. At present, three Terra products
are available: VESTAMID® Terra HS is based
on polyamide 610, which is the polycondensation
product of 1,6-hexamethylene diamine
(H) and 1,10-decanedoic diacid (sebacic acid
– S). Sebacic acid is derived from castor oil,
making Terra HS a 63 percent bio-content
polymer. VESTAMID® Terra DS is based on
polyamide 1010, which is the polycondensation
product of 1,10-decamethylene diamine
(D) and 1,10-decanedoic diacid. Both decamethylene
diamine and sebacic acid are
derived from castor oil, making Terra DS a 100
percent bio-content polymer. The 45 percent
bio-content polymer VESTAMID® Terra DD
neWs
In this fast-running electrical vehicle, this is
ensured by special lightweight tires, which
were developed with high-performance
Silica ULTRASIL® and the silane Si 363® manufactured
by Evonik. They reduce the rolling
resistance of the tires by approx. 20 percent,
leading to energy savings of about five percent.
veStAMID® Htplus makes
the gearshift lever component
resistant to lubricants
is based on polyamide 1012, which is the
polycondensation product of 1,10-decamethylene
diamine (D) and 1,12-dodecanedoic
diacid (D).
“The bio-based polyamides prove that
outstanding performance and responsible
sourc ing are not mutually exclusive,” says Benjamin
Brehmer, business manager for biopolymers.
“We impart precisely those properties
to our materials which the market expects
from high-performance plastics.” Thanks to
their excellent chemical resistance, low water
absorption, and good dimensional stability,
the polyamides are suitable for a vast number
of applications and processing techniques.
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elements39 Issue 2|2012