Clariant masterbatch company, polymer manufacturer ExxonMobil (ExxonMobil) and automotive interior design company Plastivaloire Group (Plastivaloire Group) cooperated to develop a new color series. It is expected that in the next few years, this color series will greatly change the car interior. The 2019 International Plastics and Rubber Exhibition (K 2019) is being held in Dusseldorf, Germany. At the feature technology conference, ExxonMobil demonstrated these colors at its booth (Hall 10 / 0.1).
There are three sessions of the conference, at noon on October 16, 15:00 on the 17th and noon on the 22nd.
Xavier Clément, regional sales and project manager of Clariant's automotive division, said the idea of the three companies collaborating was put forward at an auto show. At that time, he met Valérie Martin Maillet, a high-performance polyolefin (polypropylene compound) coloring expert at ExxonMobil, and Aurélie Nangniot, a designer at Plastivaloire. Clément said: "We all recognize that in the next few years, major changes in car design will occur. Especially considering that people are increasingly riding in shared cars or self-driving cars, drivers and passengers will want to decorate their living room Inside the car. We realize that our companies alone cannot provide solutions that meet market needs. However, if we cooperate, we will be able to better serve car manufacturers and car designers. "
ExxonMobil is already developing a new high-performance polyolefin product line. Its Exxtral; high-performance polyolefin has a density 8% lower than the previous generation material, so it is lighter in weight, which helps reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The polyolefin also has higher impact strength and better flow characteristics, so it can be molded into a thinner sheet, and it is non-sticky, scratch-resistant, and UV-resistant.
However, to be successful in the market, the polyolefin must also be easy to color to make it more aesthetically pleasing. Therefore, the company invites other partners to join the relevant R & D work.
Aurélie Nangniot of Plastivaloire is developing a series of new and amazing accent colors that perfectly match the interior of the car. The experts of Nangniot and Clariant developed a warm color based on natural materials such as leather, copper, cork or wood, while also developing a cool color inspired by fashion and interior design. Warm colors give a humanized feeling, which is in line with the trend of people pursuing a more comfortable car interior. The cool colors can reflect the sense of technology of self-driving cars with multiple screens and connected devices in the future.
The two companies finally selected 23 different colors and packed the molded samples in a display box for easy evaluation.
Masterbatch makes coloring easier
After discussing color and texture with other partners, Clariant's color masterbatch color experts formulated a thick color masterbatch to facilitate the coloration of ExxonMobil's polyolefin materials to meet the needs of future drivers and passengers. The formula must be carefully made to ensure that the desired color is perfectly formed in the polymer without affecting the performance and aesthetics of the material.
Clément said: "Masterbatch can allow car designers to fully express their creativity and improve the quality of plastic parts inside the car."