Celanese presents composite developments at CAR-Symposium
January 30, 2014 - Germany
Celanese Corporation, a global technology and specialty materials company, presented innovative composite developments for light and tough automotive components during the international CAR-Symposium held on Tuesday, Jan. 28, in Bochum, Germany.
As a partner company of the CAR-Symposium, Celanese presented “UD-reinforced thermoplastic Composites – The Key for tailor-made Products" during the Infoshop Block II “Material trends and lightweight construction” segment.
Celanese wanted to find a way of producing an inexpensive, CO2-saving lightweightb component on a small-scale and it succeeded with the thermoplastic tape laying method.
The tapes, comprising a thermoplastic matrix, are reinforced with unidirectional continuous fibers that give them outstanding mechanical properties: They are light, resilient and can be processed to form complex shapes. Laying thermoplastic tapes also reduces waste and cost.
Celanese Material Innovations
Celanese, with 50-plus years of material innovation, offers engineered materials with a spectrum of advanced properties that are helping automotive original equipment manufacturers and tier suppliers improve quality while reducing weight and lowering production costs, as well as safety and comfort.
For example, a glass fiber-reinforced Fortron polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) injection molding grade from Celanese was used for a head-up display that shows important information directly at the driver’s eye level. The rigid, temperature-resistant material features high dimensional stability and low warpage, enabling very narrow tolerances that allow precise dimensions for various components.
“The components of a head-up display – case bearing housings, the optical rail and mirror holder – should not even change shape slightly”, said Monika Taut, graduate engineer in applications technology, Celanese Transportation Business Unit, in describing the advantages of Fortron PPS. “This material is resilient and has extremely low moisture absorption over a wide range of temperatures, making it the material of choice for these lightweight components.
About Celanese
Celanese Corporation is a global technology leader in the production of differentiated chemistry solutions and specialty materials used in most major industries and consumer applications. With sales almost equally divided between North America, Europe and Asia, the company uses the full breadth of its global chemistry, technology and business expertise to create value for customers and the corporation. Celanese partners with customers to solve their most critical needs while making a positive impact on its communities and the world.