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Dow Automotive has developed an ACM DPF substrate, characterized with light-weight, low pressure-drop, rapid regeneration, and excellent chemical resistance at high temperature. An uncatalyzed DPF was tested on a 2.0L common-rail diesel engine for over 100 soot loading and regeneration cycles, which included a combination of controlled regenerations, uncontrolled regenerations and incomplete regenerations. The DPF demonstrated high filtration efficiency and physical integrity throughout the entire test. The ACM DPF has also demonstrated excellent catalyst coating capability and performance. An ACM DPF with a total volume of three-liter and coated with the same catalyst formulation as the original catalyzed DPF, was used to replace the OEM four-liter catalyzed SiC DPF on a 2005 model-year 1.9L European diesel passenger car. It was demonstrated that the ACM DPF has lower pressure drop and faster regeneration than that of the OEM DPF.

The application of crash durable structural adhesives in modern cars design, to improve the driving durability, the overall vehicle stiffness, the crash resistance and to make real light weight constructions feasible is significantly gaining in importance. 1-component systems are already introduced in the market and used in automotive industries. Usually the use of these bonds in automotive industries is limited by a relatively low wash off resistance in the pre-treatment tanks of the paint shop. If no additional actions are taken, there is a severe risk of wash off of the adhesives up to the partial loss in functionality. Respectively contamination of the pre-treatment tanks and aftereffects damage the surface of the coated cars. To avoid wash off a thermal process (oven) to pre-gel the adhesive in the flanges of the Body-In-White (BIW)- bodies before entering the pre-treatment utility is necessary. This is a save but cost intensive solution.

A new advanced ceramic material (ACM) has been developed and examined for diesel emission control systems, especially for diesel particulate filter (DPF) applications. Lab tests have shown that ACM possesses suitable mechanical and chemical properties for a durable DPF. Engine dynamometer tests have shown that a DPF made from ACM possesses high performance in the key application requirements of high filtration efficiency, low filtration back pressure, fast regeneration, and suitability for catalyst coating applications. The experimental results from this investigation demonstrate that a DPF made from ACM can be used for advanced diesel PM emission control systems, including potential four-way diesel catalytic converter systems.

Car manufacturers continue to strive to find creative routes to differentiate their vehicles while continuing to reduce cost. Acoustic comfort derived from high performance sprayable dampener systems is one important option for OEM's to differentiate their models. But there is a significant conflict between high performance, low cost and vehicle weight reduction. This paper describes an innovative vibration dampening material resin. It is a one part, reactive, solvent free, sprayable, epoxy based technology using a unique polymer resin with reduced safety labeling requirements. Good corrosion protection and oil absorption characteristics allow this resin to be applied in either the body or paint shop facilities. Benchmarking against the existing dampener type in the areas of damping performance, process costs, ease of application and environment/health aspects shows that this new generation of epoxy damper is superior to other current damper coatings.

The 1997 F-Series and Expedition Instrument Panel programs were initially launched with steering column and glove compartment knee bolsters constructed of compression molded, glass filled polypropylene. First run capability of the material at production speeds was only 65 percent due primarily to dimensional stability (warp), paint adhesion, and excessive rework issues. A Ford APO (now Visteon) / Dow Automotive† team was formed to seek a replacement material / design for the glass filled polypropylene material which would solve the problems. The new material system had to meet or exceed current FMVSS 208 crash performance standards, provide improved quality and reduce variable and scrap costs all with a minimum tooling investment. Using Dow PULSE™ PC/ABS resin, the team designed / implemented a new knee bolster system in 12 months.

The commercial validation of a optimized RRIM polyurethane substrate with a novel barrier coat for fascia applications is reviewed which creates cost competitiveness to thermoplastic olefins (TPO), without sacrificing performance. Meeting fascia performance requirements with thinner and lighter RRIM materials containing recyclate and the subsequent application of a barrier coat eliminating the traditional primecoat cycle was investigated.