FOR AUTO RTM

FEATURE / AUTOMOTIVE COMPOSITES
(IACMI, Knoxville, TN, US). “We’re currently seeking partners in the prepreg supply
chain to propose a project to IACMI to address the challenges of rapid-cure prepregs for
automobile structural applications.” The company says it will be launching additional
automotive applications of G83C in the near future.
Balancing properties for mass production
In terms of resin development, Mark Steele, R&D director at Cytec Industries Industrial
Materials (Heanor, Derbyshire, UK), reports that an 18-month R&D program there
has resulted in several sub-3-minute-cure epoxy resin chemistries for primary and
secondary vehicle body-in-white structures (Table 1). But Cytec’s global automotive
director Alexander Aucken points out that the real mission extends far beyond resin
We create
chemistry
that lets
beauty love
brains.
formation: “Rapid-cure materials are a
fundamental part of the solution, but the
automotive industry needs far more than
just a fast resin.” Mass production requires
a balance of technical and commercial
aspects. Materials, design for manufacture
and processing must come together to
create the most affordable solution. Technical
factors that affect the issue include
not only the resin’s processing time,
toughness and T g
, but also preforming
needs, such as highly drapable fabrics,
affordable carbon fiber, automation,
recyclability and sustainability. “We’re
working with key alliance partners to
develop technologies that address all of
these automotive cornerstones,” adds
Aucken. “Our new multi-million dollar
Application Centre, scheduled to open
later this year, is being equipped to
support these technology developments
and will be used to showcase to OEMs
and their supply chain ways to integrate
carbon fiber part manufacture within
their current infrastructures,” concludes
Aucken (See “Learn More”).
Dale Brosius, chief commercialization
officer of the IACMI, says the new
collaborative is in the midst of tackling
these issues: “We need grades of carbon
fiber specific to automotive, faster cycles
for orienting fibers in preforms or stacks
to match the speeds of the resin systems,
both thermoplastic and thermoset, and
improved modeling and simulation for
end-to-end simulations of design and
processing that are easily accessed by
engineers and manufacturers.”
BASF high-performance materials are
smart—and yes, beautiful. Our plastics
and polyurethanes can be found in
the innovative designs of some of the
world’s most popular automobiles. At
BASF, we create chemistry for a better
tomorrow. And a smarter ride.
www.performance-materials.basf.us
Looking down the road
Resin manufacturers have recognized
the need to step beyond formulation to
integration of resin systems into entirely
reinvented production systems. According
to Cytec, new technologies must include
automated preforming systems, scrap
reduction strategies, material recycling
and affordable large-tow carbon fiber.
Fast-curing thermosets for automotive
apps will continue to be improved, says
Dow’s Cate, noting, “We see automotive
customers becoming bolder in their plans
for composites, and both process and
chemistry have to adapt to keep up.” He
adds that epoxy systems can be corrosive
50 SEPTEMBER 2015
CompositesWorld