MOLECULAR COMPOSITE PLASTICS FOR LIGHTWEIGHT GREEN CARS

IT IS PLANNED TO REPLACE BOTH METALS AND GLASS FIBER COMPOSITS IN AUTOMOTIVE CONSTRUCTION. POTENTIAL SAAVINGS IN WEIGHT OF 25% TO 40% OVER CURRENT MATERIALS AND THE ABILITY TO RECYCLE THESE NEW THERMOPLASTICS OFFER MAJOR STEPS TOWARD A FUEL EFFICIENT GREEN CAR. FOR EXAMPLE, THE LIGHTWEIGHT MATERIALS PROGRAM PLAN PROJECTS THAT IF CURRENT VEHICLES WERE LIGHTENED BY ONLY 25% THE TOTAL U.S. GASOLINE CONSUMPTION WOUDL DROP 13%. THE PLANNED NEW MATERIALS ARE BASED ON NEW RIGID-ROD RESINS. THESE PLASTICS ARE STIFFER AND STRONGER THAN ANY ISOTROPIC THERMOPLASTIC, WITH UP TO FOUR TIMES THE STIFFNESS AND TWO TIMES THE STRENGTH OF HIGH PERFORMANCE THERMOPLASTICS LIKE POLYIMIDES AND POLYETHERKETONES. IN PHASE I, THE PLANNED NEW BLENDS ARE TARGETED TO REPLACE SHEET MOLDING COMPOUNDS (SMC). WHILE NO METHOD OF RECYCLE EXISTS FOR CURRENTLY USED SMC BODY PANELS, THE NEW BLENDS WOULD CONTAIN NO FIBERS AND ARE POTENTIALLY RECYCLABLE. ULTIMATE PROPERTIES WOULD ALLOW DISPLACEMENT OF METALS, INCLUDING PRIMARY STRUCTURAL APPLICATIONS.