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This paper presents a new concept for a 100% plastic prototype automotive door panel. This concept has the potential of providing a weight reduction of up to 40% compared to conventional steel door panels, but with equivalent performance (static strength). This innovative technology can be used for a variety of exterior automotive parts. The concept includes a composite sandwich panel combination of GFRP (glass-fiber-reinforced polymer), and LACTIF®, which is expanded beads foam made from PLA (polylactic acid) and developed by JSP Corporation. This GFRP+LACTIF® composite design offers the following characteristics: - Excellent environmental resistance, - Strong adhesion, - Equivalent static strength (versus conventional door panels), and - Design flexibility. This concept also offers an alternative to conventional steel door panel systems by using unsaturated polyester material of plant origin as part of the GFRP composite.

The demand for improved material properties and performance, as well as the demand for weight and cost reduction has presented challenges for the automotive industry as a whole. From the plastic and polymer materials side, the challenge has been incorporating newer polyolefin material technology into existing applications, all while reducing cost and improving performance. This paper will explore novel approaches to meeting the industry need of both cost and weight reduction for plastic interior components, all while meeting the stringent performance and environmental needs of each OEM. Recent advancements in the field of polyolefin resins have enabled new classes of thermoplastic bead foam products to be created which provide enhanced physical properties. These new materials are capable of improved performance due to the advancements that have been made to their base polymers.

Advancements in the field of polyolefin resins have enabled new classes of thermoplastic bead foam products to be created which provide enhanced physical properties. These new products are capable of improved performance due to the advancements that have been made in the area of polyolefin resin catalyst systems, specifically those employing the new Metallocene catalyst method for production. With this new technology, Expanded Polyolefin bead foams such as Expanded Polypropylene (EPP) are making their way into new automotive applications, that just a few years ago were not possible. These advances have made it possible to comply with the stringent design, testing, and qualification requirements that headliner systems must meet.

Recent advancements in the field of polyolefin resins in the area of PP+PE copolymers, impact co-polymers, and homo-polymers have allowed for the creation of a new class of thermoplastic foam products. These new products are capable of improved performance due to the advancements that have been made in the area of polyolefin resin catalyst systems. These new Metallocene catalysts are being employed to create resins with improved mechanical properties that otherwise were not available using the traditional Ziegler-Natta (Z-N) catalyst systems currently being used to produce a majority of the thermoplastic materials available today. This paper will describe these recent advancements and how they allow for improved properties to be realized in the area of expanded bead foams used in the construction of molded automotive interior components used in the occupant safety system designs.

Advancements in soft polyolefin bead foams for automotive interior trim components permit a more targeted response to automotive industry requirements, including: cushioning, energy management efficiency, parts consolidation, elimination of restricted materials and substances, recycleability, and lower prices. This paper will describe these recent advancements in the properties of and processing techniques for soft polyolefin foams. Soft polyolefin foam properties allow interior components to meet increasingly stringent environmental substance regulations. They also allow interior components to meet a broad range of application requirements from the requirements for soft feel at low strain rates to the requirements for energy absorption at higher strain rates. The unique properties of these soft polyolefin foams address interior application requirements, including weight reduction, energy absorption performance (per recent FMVSS changes), and styling.