Steering advanced vehicle technologies towards sustainable mobility

Phil Black - PII Editor 19/10/2011

72 8 minutes read

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As the security of supply and climate change are high on the global energy agenda, the automotive industry increasingly finds itself under pressure to work towards a future of sustainable mobility, focused on the reduction of C02 emissions. Here Dietmar Leibrock, Commercial Country Leader of Germany at Huntsman Advanced Materials explains how the company can help.

The number of cars in the world continues to grow rapidly. With the majority using fossil fuels and emitting C02, the automotive industry – noted for its substantial global footprint – is looking at how it can be integrated in the energy system. While industry trends to develop high-performance electric and hybrid vehicles (EHV) gather pace, there is also a requirement to exploit the technological potential of combustion engines further and reduce the weight of today’s vehicles to create higher efficiencies, lower fuel consumption and reduced C02 emissions.

As a global leader and pioneer in sustainable applications, Huntsman Advanced Materials is uniquely positioned to address these issues. Huntsman plays a key role in ensuring that cars run in the optimum performance range through supporting the delivery of improved engine control devices and systems, optimum energy management, hybridisation, reduced vehicle weight and better impact resistance.

Huntsman’s products cover the whole chain of automotive manufacturing. With adhesives for durable component assembly and resin systems for parts, body panels and the chassis, the company is able to cater to the automotive sector’s needs from concept design to finished part – more efficiently than ever before.

Supporting the development of well performing, fuel-efficient engines, the company provides epoxy systems for insulating ignition coils, encapsulating systems for electronic control units and organic protective solutions for electronic applications and printed circuit boards, to name just a few. Its comprehensive product ranges are used across the world’s automotive industries, from the parts suppliers to the OEMs themselves.

Insulating electrical and electronic components
Araldite® epoxy systems insulate car ignition coils, power diodes and inverters. These products exhibit excellent electrical and mechanical properties for long-term reliability at temperatures up to 230°C. With a low viscosity making them ideal for producing effective insulation, they exhibit low CTE to resist stress cracking created by the wide temperature range the products have to face in electrical and electronics parts used in combustion engines and electro-hybrid vehicles.

Encapsulating electrical and electronic components
Araldite® epoxy encapsulating materials protect electronic control units, starter/generator systems, electric motors and high-functionality capacitors against the harsh environment, especially in humid and high temperature conditions. Optimising the performance of each individual engine component serves to enhance fuel efficiency and reduce the overall emissions.

New generation lighting opportunities
Recent developments in LED (Light Emitting Diodes) based front and rear lighting has been supported by the high reflectivity of the white solder mask recently introduced to the market and used as a coating for printed circuit boards. The low energy consumption of LEDs contributes to a cleaner environment.

Lower energy consumption for lighting will be reached when OLEDs (Organic Light Emitting Diodes) are produced on an industrial scale and used in interior and exterior automotive lighting as well as optical ‘infotainment’ systems. For several years Huntsman has been participating in the development of encapsulation technology and moist barriers for flexible electronic devices.

While protecting OLEDs from oxygen and moisture, Huntsman’s thin barrier coatings facilitate the constant brightness and optical performance over the product’s lifetime.

The flexible OLEDs integrated into the rear view mirrors of the ORECA 01 racing car from French racing team ORECA-Matmut during the 2010 “Le Mans series” season is a good example of the energy savings that can be made through the successful application of Huntsman’s innovative, thin barrier coating system for OLEDs.

The integration of the OLED system in the carbon fibre composite creates several advantages. Due to its weight, the performance of the mirror is not compromised and there are no mechanical issues associated with the OLEDS. The technology fits perfectly with the extremely demanding constraints of endurance racing, such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

OLEDs can be used for power-efficient large area light sources or general illumination with their revolutionary thin, flat, transparent, lightweight and flexible properties. They provide brighter, crisper displays and consume up to 70% less energy compared to conventional light sources, meaning OLED lighting could also help to reduce energy consumption.

By integrating OLEDs into composite parts and combining the advantages of durable composites with the properties of thin, flexible, large surface OLEDs, a range of new generation lighting ideas for interior and exterior automotive lighting is starting to unfold.

Composites and sustainable mobility
Identified as a key driver to help the industry flourish in the coming decades, the automotive industry is now focusing on composites to develop more sustainable, durable, lightweight and high-performance products.

Ground-breaking Lamborghini chassis developed with Araldite® RTM system
Unveiled for the first time at the 2011 Geneva Auto Show, the Aventador LP700-4 is the first flagship from Lamborghini to feature a production carbon fibre chassis. The carbon chassis was developed using an Araldite® resin system especially adapted for ‘RTM-Lambo’; a cost-effective, out-of-autoclave technique to produce composite parts.

The resin met all the physical and mechanical properties needed to ensure the strength and torsional rigidity of the chassis. The entire passenger cell of the Aventador weighs just 147.5kg. However, this light weight is not at the expense of rigidity. Whereas its metal chassis based predecessor, the Murcielago, has a torsional rigidity rated at around 20,000 Nm per degree, the Aventador boasts a much higher torque at 35,000 Nm per degree. In combination with the Araldite® resin, the ‘RTM-Lambo’ technique creates a chassis that is lightweight, robust and capable of delivering a power-to-weight ratio which provides a better performance and all importantly, lower fuel consumption.

Fine tuning driving for a cleaner environment
The composite fuel tanks produced by MCS demonstrate how emissions can be significant reduced with composite technologies.

Based on a unique carbon fibre epoxy matrix system, MCS’ composite fuel tanks are more than 55% lighter than the steel cylinder counterparts which are typically used to hold compressed natural gas (CNG), providing a more favourable weight-to-volume ratio.

Composite fuel tanks offer huge benefits to the overall performance of endurance and performance vehicles, also enabling far greater distances to be travelled without the need to frequently refuel. As concerns over harmful emissions from fossil fuels continue to rise, vehicles that run on alternative fuel sources, such as natural gas, will become increasingly important. Natural gas costs are lower than petrol and natural gas powered vehicles can achieve up to a 93% reduction in C02 emissions.

The use of composites in preference to traditional materials is even being looked at within the structure of the car wheel. Huntsman participated in a recent project to produce the carbon rim on a carbon-magnesium wheel using a toughened Araldite® resin system adapted for Resin Transfer Molding (RTM). During the process, aerospace type carbon fabrics were put into a mold and injected with epoxy resin. Combining properties of toughness and high temperature resistance, the Araldite® RTM system assists in creating a carbon wheel that is 40% lighter than even the lightest aluminium or magnesium wheels. Substituting conventional materials with composites creates a direct primary weight reduction, allowing the carbon rims to have a noticeable effect on a car’s fuel economy, reducing fuel consumption and emissions while enhancing performance and handling.

Towards a more sustainable future
Lower fuel consumption and reduced emissions can be achieved by a higher efficiency of the engine, improved performance of different producers and through the effective deployment of composite materials. It can also be achieved by what is now commonly referred to across the industry as ‘e-drives’ or electric and hybrid vehicles (EHV). Huntsman’s broad range of materials are increasingly being deployed in the burgeoning markets for electric and electro-hybrid vehicle production.

The need for cleaner, greener modes of transport is driving the design of complex hybrid engines that perform well, but are less harmful to the planet. Huntsman’s surfactants, amines and maleic anhydride chemistries are used in next generation fuels and oils; hydraulic fluids for brake, power steering and transmission systems; and engine cleaning agents to flush out carburetors and fuel injection systems. From encapsulation to insulation, Huntsman’s chemistries dramatically improve the manufacture of electronic components within hybrid engines. For example, typical applications include electrolyte solvents for use in rechargeable batteries and reflow fluids in circuit board fluxes.

High performance fuel cells
Meeting the most stringent requirements for large scale production of high temperature fuel cells, Huntsman has developed new benzoxazine resins for the production of critical elements (bipolar plates) of fuel cells. Ground breaking composite fuel cells present significant benefits over existing standard ones: The new, lighter weight fuel cell has superior corrosion resistance, a more consistent electrical performance at high temperatures and a longer operating life.

Fuel cells offer the way forward to greater efficiency and less pollution, since the conversion of fuel to energy takes place via an electrochemical process and not by combustion. Huntsman’s benzoxazine resins enable the use of cost effective high volume manufacturing techniques that lower the costs of the bipolar plates, ultimately accelerating the widespread commercial adoption of hydrogen based energy systems.

The attraction of using hydrogen as an energy currency is that, if hydrogen is prepared without using fossil fuel inputs, vehicle propulsion would not contribute to carbon dioxide emissions – and one solution to our continued dependence on fossil fuels could be found.

Electric concept vehicle developed using sustainable components
From the preparation of moulds using seamless modelling pastes and boards to the broad application of high performance composite parts and body panels, composite bonders, composite wheels and encapsulation solutions for electronic components, Huntsman has recently been involved in a project showcasing the possibilities of building an electric concept car using environmentally sustainable components. As a production model, the ‘U-Box’ could potentially be used as an industrial site vehicle or for park-and-ride hospitality services at events.

In summary
As a preferred partner, Huntsman has provided raw materials and formulated systems to the automotive industry for over 60 years. As a leading exponent of material science and engineering, the company is proud to play an integral role supporting the innovative projects that balance technological advance with innovative development in the drive to realise sustainable mobility.

Applications	Huntsman Products	Benefits
Ignition coils, power diodes, modules and sensors, electronic control units	Araldite® epoxy insulating resins Araldite® high performance encapsulating resins and adhesives Araldite® laminating resin systems Probimer® solder mask systems	Effective insulation between high-voltage coil components Protection against the harsh environment especially in humid and high temperature conditions Seal and join electrical and electronic components Production of halogen free, flame retardant, printed circuit boards
Flexible OLEDs	Araldite® LED encapsulants	Protection against moisture and oxygen Encapsulation supports constant brightness and optical performance over product lifetime
Carbon composite chassis	Araldite® RTM and Infusion epoxy systems	Composites create direct primary weight reduction, enhance fuel economy and lower emissions
Carbon composite wheels	Araldite® RTM resin system	Weight reduction in this critical application, lead to exponential energy saving but requires highest mechanical and thermal performance for the RTM system
Body panels	Toughened, halogen free and fire resistant Araldite® resins	For composite parts, provides superior impact resistance
Door panels	Araldite® expandable EP systems	Ideally suited to the usage of natural fibres, also offers benefits of short cycle times
Fuel cells	Benzoxazine resin	Cleaner conversion of fuel by electrochemical process, superior corrosion resistance and longer operating life

Sales enquiries should be directed by mail or e-mail to:

Patricia Albisser
Huntsman Advanced Materials (Switzerland) GmbH
K-401.5.77
Klybeckstrasse 200
CH-4057 Basel
Switzerland
Phone: +41-61-299 2664
Fax: +41-61-966 8130
Email: patricia_albisser@huntsman.com