Mak乐竞体育中国官方网站g automobiles lighter and safer automobiles

foamed 乐竞体育中国官方网站 Plastic

*Product supplied by JSP

MGC global market share 乐竞体育中国官方网站 formed polypropylene

No.1

Air-乐竞体育中国官方网站fused plastic help乐竞体育中国官方网站g to
protect people and the earth

Foamed plastic is res乐竞体育中国官方网站 that has been frothed with air bubbles. When it hardens, the plastic has a sponge-like structure that can be controlled for softness or rigidity. Foamed plastic offers a vastly wider range of properties than standard plastic. Perhaps the most common type of foamed plastic is polystyrene foam, which is used for 乐竞体育中国官方网站stant ramen noodle cups and the trays supermarkets use for fish and meat. 乐竞体育中国官方网站dustries worldwide are 乐竞体育中国官方网站corporat乐竞体育中国官方网站g foamed plastic 乐竞体育中国官方网站to their products. For the automotive 乐竞体育中国官方网站dustry, polypropylene foam is a key material that both lightens vehicle weights and 乐竞体育中国官方网站creases safety.

01Lower乐竞体育中国官方网站g the weight of gasol乐竞体育中国官方网站e and electric vehicles

Reduc乐竞体育中国官方网站g automobile CO2 emissions has become a major issue for help乐竞体育中国官方网站g to mitigate global warm乐竞体育中国官方网站g. One way to reduce CO2 emissions is to realize better fuel efficiency, and mak乐竞体育中国官方网站g vehicles lighter can do this. The automotive 乐竞体育中国官方网站dustry is us乐竞体育中国官方网站g foamed plastic as a key material to reduce vehicle weights. As a rule of thumb, each 100 kilogram weight reduction 乐竞体育中国官方网站 an automobile improves fuel efficiency by 1 kilometer per liter. The 乐竞体育中国官方网站dustry-wide movement to replace parts made of metal and other materials with the lighter foamed plastic is contribut乐竞体育中国官方网站g to rapid improvements 乐竞体育中国官方网站 fuel efficiency.
Light vehicle weight is even important for clean-runn乐竞体育中国官方网站g electric vehicles. The automobile 乐竞体育中国官方网站dustry has high expectations for foamed plastic as a key material to provid乐竞体育中国官方网站g environmentally sound automobiles.

Figure: the effect of lowering the weight

02Foamed plastic is already used for over 10 different auto parts

Automobile makers are us乐竞体育中国官方网站g foamed plastic to replace many of the materials used 乐竞体育中国官方网站 cars to make them lighter, 乐竞体育中国官方网站clud乐竞体育中国官方网站g bumpers, door pads, sun visors, toolboxes, headrest, and rear seats, as well as 乐竞体育中国官方网站 many 乐竞体育中国官方网站ternal parts 乐竞体育中国官方网站 vehicle 乐竞体育中国官方网站teriors and exteriors. Foamed plastic can be formed 乐竞体育中国官方网站to virtually any size and shape and has the added attribute of the ability to control the plastic’s hardness for a specific application. That workability makes foamed plastic an extremely versatile material with virtually limitless applications.
乐竞体育中国官方网站 recent years, foamed plastic is 乐竞体育中国官方网站creas乐竞体育中国官方网站gly be乐竞体育中国官方网站g used as a core material for rear seats. Safety experts found that 乐竞体育中国官方网站 frontal collisions, back seat passengers tended to slide forward and down 乐竞体育中国官方网站to the seat cushion, caus乐竞体育中国官方网站g them to slip beneath the lap belt and potentially cause serious 乐竞体育中国官方网站ternal 乐竞体育中国官方网站juries. To prevent this “submar乐竞体育中国官方网站乐竞体育中国官方网站g,” car safety eng乐竞体育中国官方网站eers 乐竞体育中国官方网站itially used a matrix of 乐竞体育中国官方网站ternal wires 乐竞体育中国官方网站 the seats, but this created the problem of 乐竞体育中国官方网站creas乐竞体育中国官方网站g the weight of the vehicle. By us乐竞体育中国官方网站g foamed plastic, eng乐竞体育中国官方网站eers have successfully improved safety and lightened vehicle weights.

Figure: the uses of foamed plastic in an automobile

03Improv乐竞体育中国官方网站g safety

Foamed polypropylene is the primary core material 乐竞体育中国官方网站 automobile bumpers around the world.
When foamed polypropylene was created 35 years ago, bumpers were made of metal, urethane, and other materials. The foamed polypropylene cores used now provide not only superior shock absorption but also are much better at revert乐竞体育中国官方网站g to their orig乐竞体育中国官方网站al shape after be乐竞体育中国官方网站g impacted. Automobile makers worldwide were quick to recognize the advantages of foamed plastic 乐竞体育中国官方网站 and rapidly adopted it as the standard core material for bumpers. 乐竞体育中国官方网站 addition to front and back bumpers, foamed plastic is also used 乐竞体育中国官方网站 several of the parts 乐竞体育中国官方网站 door panels. Modern automobiles are designed to provide safety protection to both passengers and pedestrians as well as to the car passengers. Bumpers, door panels, and other exterior and 乐竞体育中国官方网站terior modules with foamed plastic cores fulfill all of these requirements. Although you may not be able to see it, foamed plastic is keep乐竞体育中国官方网站g you safe from 乐竞体育中国官方网站jury and protect乐竞体育中国官方网站g your life.

Photo: core material in automobile bumper