- Specialty molding compound for injection molding & extrusion
- 30 times the breaking strength of mineral glass
- Evonik at #Fakuma
Plastics such as polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) have long been established in a variety of vehicle applications, where they are used, for example, as durable taillight covers and non-transparent add-on body parts. They are also used for vehicle interiors, such as decorative trim, ambient lighting and door entry strips. Glazing with plastics, however, is one of the fields that offer the highest growth potential.
Impact-modified PMMA has up to 30 times the breaking strength of mineral glass
At #Fakuma 2014, Evonik Industries presents the new specialty molding compound Plexiglas Resist AG 100 for for the manufacturing of vehicle glazing. The material is the world’s first PMMA specialty molding compound for this application, according to the company. It offers the high resistance to UV light and weathering for which the material is known, is impact-modified and has up to 30 times the breaking strength of mineral glass. In addition, the reversible haze, that occurs in conventional impact-modified products at very high and low temperatures, is also significantly reduced.
Passed all ECE R43 tests for rear side windows, roof and rear windows
It has also undergone and passed all tests in line with ECE R43. The test report of the Materials Testing Agency of North Rhine Westphalia is available for systems based on Plexiglas Resist AG 100 for rear side windows, roof and rear windows. The new specialty molding compound can be processed by means of all thermoplastic processes such as injection molding or injection compression molding, or by extrusion with subsequent sheet thermoforming.
One-step hard coating lowers production costs
And when it comes to hard coating, a one-step coating can be applied to increase the already good abrasion resistance further. One-step coatings that are suitable for this material have been successfully tested and also meet the requirements of ECE R 43. Other thermoplastics that are less weather-resistant have usually to be protected by means of a two-step coating process, which entails higher costs. The subsequently applied UV-protection can also impair the mechanical performance of the coating.
The new material therefore offers enormous freedom of design when it comes to developing unusual designs with curved lines and pronounced edges. This also applies to components made from this material, which unite several functions at the same time, such as non-movable quarter window, black pillar cover and taillight all in one.
Picture: One example for Plexiglas glazing with unusual design and curved lines is Pininfarina’s concept car Cambiano (Source: Evonik)
