- 15% lighter polypropylene vehicle parts with reinforcing agents
- Thinner PP parts with nucleating additives
- Parts with optical properties with clarifying agent
At the recent 2015 VDI Plastics in Automotive Engineering Conference in Mannheim, Germany, the company Milliken addressed the lightweight trend in vehicle manufacturing with reinforcing agents that not only allow weight reduction, but also improve all-round mechanical performance and the aesthetics of polypropylene (PP) parts.
15% lighter PP vehicle parts with reinforcing agents
The reinforcing agent Hyperform HPR-803i, a synthetic reinforcing agent that can be used alone or with talc, allows automotive manufacturers to produce PP parts that are up to 15% lighter without compromising performance. Added at a lower addition rate than mineral fillers, the reinforcing agent ensures lower density PP compounds which maintain their mechanical performance even after multiple recycling and compounding operations. In addition, it also enables a reduction in color pigment usage and improves scratch resistance of a finished part.
Compounds containing Hyperform HPR-803i can be processed on existing conventional injection moulding equipment, without processors having to make additional investments.
Lower door cladding hyperform HPR-803i
Thinner PP parts with nucleating additives
Another way to produce stronger, thinner and lighter PP parts with stable dimensions is the use of nucleating additives. Hyperform HPN 20E nucleating agent’s special orientation of polymer crystal growth, superior dimensional control, and a good balance of physical properties and very good modulus in three-dimensional parts, makes it suitable for injection molding in automotive, appliance and industrial applications.
For PE, Hyperform HPN 20E nucleating agent can improve barrier performance and physical properties, as well as productivity gains.
PP parts with optical properties with clarifying agent
Previously, the company introduced clarifying agent Millad NX 8000 for the production of PP parts with optical properties hitherto only associated with more glass-like polymers such as polycarbonate, crystal polystyrene and acrylics. Millad NX 8500E, a variant of NX 8000, has been fine-tuned for extrusion-blow moulding PP applications.
Use of Millad NX 8500E can simplify production of multilayer bottles, for example, since the same grade of PP can now be used for the outer layer and for the inner layer, says Milliken. The special formulation of Millad NX 8500E can help to improve gloss on the inside and outside of bottles. This is an important feature for products such as bottles for shampoos and detergents, where brand owners strive to have their products stand out on the shelves.
Main Picture: OEMs can utilise Milliken’s Hyperform HPR reinforcing agent for weight reduction. (photo: Milliken)
