According to materials supplier Asahi Kasei, as the automotive industry continues its disruptive megatrends, automotive OEMs and suppliers are facing strong innovation pressures. "New, innovative solutions are in great demand," the Japanese company said. The company claims that its newly developed polyamide (PA) bead foam offers unique possibilities for lightweighting and noise reduction applications.
PA foam has the typical heat, chemical, and oil resistance properties of polyamide, and combines excellent rigidity or noise reduction quality, while the latter two properties depend on the shape of the beads. PA foam composed of round beads has strong rigidity and is an excellent substitute for aluminum and metal structures. It can also be used to produce insulators, conduits, gaskets, or other lightweight parts such as battery shells for electric cars.
In addition, PA foam with C-shape or macaroni shape has the characteristic of noise reduction in addition to the typical polyamide properties. It has potential applications in many automotive parts, especially in the engine compartment. The material can show its unique quality. . For example, for the hood, the product not only helps to reduce the weight, but also significantly reduces the radiated noise of the engine and makes the vehicle quieter.
These noise-reducing properties of foam also help improve the comfort of the interior of the car. With the increasing popularity of car sharing and the introduction of autonomous driving, car interiors have become increasingly important as a relaxing and comfortable personal living space. PA foam can significantly improve the quality of living spaces in new vehicles by insulating and reducing the radiated noise of the car itself, as well as reducing the noise from the outside. Possible applications include roofs, hoods, seats and underbody structures.
On the polystyrene standard molding equipment, PA foam beads can be prepared by steam forming process. In addition, the resin can be significantly reduced during the production process, helping to reduce overall costs.
The subversive case (interconnected-autonomous-shared-electrification) megatrend is pushing the pressure of innovation in the automotive industry to new heights. In addition to changing consumer demands, EU legislation to reduce carbon dioxide emissions has also been driving the need for new, innovative, lightweight materials to replace metal and aluminum components.
At the same time, these materials must meet the high safety standards of the automotive industry and provide solutions to changing and tightening regulations around the world. Asahi Kasei believes that the wide range of properties of plastics and foams will be the key to this field, helping to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from traditional internal combustion engine passenger cars and providing longer driving distances for electric vehicles.
Another challenge facing the automotive industry is tightening noise regulations. According to United Nations Regulation No. 51-031 issued in 2016, newly manufactured vehicles must continuously reduce noise levels emitted to the outside.
Asahi Kasei is one of only four fully integrated PA manufacturers in the world and can produce PA 66 from monomer to compound. Based on this expertise, the company is currently developing the foam bead material PA foam-the first of its kind in the world. It provides a solution to these challenges in the automotive industry—stiffness, mechanical strength and heat resistance, and noise reduction for automotive structural lightweight applications.
Takauji Namatame, senior manager of R & D department of Asahi Kasei Europe, commented: "By introducing PA foam with unprecedented high heat resistance to the market, Asahi Kasei introduces new possibilities for foam materials. In Europe with strong environmental awareness, the future will be light The demand for applications is expected to increase further, especially in the automotive industry. Our foam opens new doors for applications, which also require lightweight and heat resistance. In addition, the noise reduction performance due to the special shape of the beads will meet There is a growing demand for noise reduction, vibration and roughness (NVH) applications. "
Asahi Kasei will showcase this PA foam at the European Bubble Expo in Stuttgart, Germany, from September 10th to 12th.