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Photo Credit: LANXESS
Lanxess SABIC
Making Vehicles Slimmer Achieving Fuel Efficiency
Through Light Weighting
The ideal way for cars to lose
weight is by using high SABIC’s material solutions for
performance plastics. LANXESS, cars, trucks, trains, and aircraft
a specialty chemical company, has help manufacturers reduce
been making these for over 20 weight, making their products
years. One example is Durethan®, more fuel-efficient without
a technical plastic used by car compromising safety. SABIC
manufacturers in combination offers a broad portfolio of
with steel or aluminum (hybrid engineering resins and
technology). The resulting body compounds for automotive
components withstand the highest exterior, interior, under the
loads, though they are upto 40% hood, automotive lighting,
lighter and cheaper to manufacture automotive glazing, Crash and
than traditional parts. Be it front Chassis applications.
ends, roof frames, pedal bearing
blocks or brake pedals. SABIC polypropylene
compounds (PPc) and resins
But the full potential for lightweight enable design and production
construction has been far from of bumpers with reduced
exploited. Doors, tailgates, even thicknesses for significant
heavy-duty entrance support made weight-out, while maintaining
of hybrid technology have long high impact flow, styling and
been on car manufacturers’ agenda. aesthetics. SABIC’s resins help
LANXESS is closely involved in significantly reduce system
many developments in this area weight for exterior trim and
given its long and unique know- body panel components. Parts
how of this kind of composite molded with this resin can be
technology. painted online with metal body
in white, avoiding the need for
secondary operations.
SABIC’s all-plastic tailgate
concept delivers weight savings
of up to 30 percent, or 12.5 kg,
compared to tailgates of a
similar size using conventional
materials, while adding
excellent aesthetics, strength
and performance.
Chemistry Everywhere 25
In Pursuit of Sustainable Development
