Abstract
The purpose of this article is to present an overview of the trend of using, on a wider scale, plastics in the automotive industry. It is presented the realization of PLA-TPU-Blends with a biogenic mass greater than 90%, by mixing thermoplastic Polyurethan (TPU) with Polylactid-Acid (PLA) at IKT University of Stuttgart. In order to estimate the possibilities of use of bio-materials made from PLA and TPU, the properties were compared with standard thermoplastics such as Polypropylen (PP), Polyethylen (PE), Polyamid (PA), as well as with better performing materials from the engineering thermoplastics range. PBT, ASA and their derivatives. Notable are the properties of PLA-TPU-Blends compared with standard thermoplastics PP, PE, PA. The results show PLA-TPU-Blends superiority in Yeld strength compared to the types of Polypropylene homopolymer (PP-H), block-copolymer (PP-B) and randompolymer (PP-R), the properties being adaptable by flexible modification of the ratio between the components, according to the requirements of the application. Using suitable additives to make components compatible, there were created blends which were partially cross-linked, but their properties remain of thermoplast. When reinforcing PLA-TPU-Blends with fibers (glass and natural), the components also react with the groups (-OH) on the fiber surface, thus making a good connection between fibers and blends, which prevents the so-called pull-out-effect. PLA-TPU-Blends reinforced with natural fibers can be used to make the interior body elements of vehicles. The paper also presents a comparison between bio-materials made at IKT University of Stuttgart with Polyethylen (PE) and other industry standard bio-materials.
Highlights
The purpose of this article is to present an overview of the trend of using, on a wider scale, plastics in the automotive industry
In order to estimate the possibilities of use of bio-materials made from PLA and thermoplastic Polyurethan (TPU), the properties were compared with standard thermoplastics such as Polypropylen (PP), Polyethylen (PE), Polyamid (PA), as well as with better performing materials from the engineering thermoplastics range
In order to estimate the possibilities of use of bio-materials made from PLA and TPU, the properties were compared with standard thermoplastics such as Polypropylen (PP), Polyethylen (PE), Polyamid (PA), as well as with better performing materials from the engineering thermoplastics range Polybutylenrerephtalat (PBT), Acrylnitril-Styrol-Acrylester-Copolymere (ASA) and their derivatives
Summary
The purpose of this article is to present an overview of the trend of using, on a wider scale, plastics in the automotive industry. In order to estimate the possibilities of use of bio-materials made from PLA and TPU, the properties were compared with standard thermoplastics such as Polypropylen (PP), Polyethylen (PE), Polyamid (PA), as well as with better performing materials from the engineering thermoplastics range. Plastics are in the category of those materials that could solve the challenge of these seemingly conflicting requirements Due to their unique combination of properties, plastics are suitable to provide a range of technological innovations, taking into account cost efficiency and sustainability. It is estimated that 100 kg of plastics have replaced between 200 and 300 kg of conventional materials in the modern car This weight reduction leads to a reduction in fuel consumption by 750 liters for a distance of 150,000 km. Glass fibre reinforced polyester composites are used instead of metallic materials due to their low density, strength and high rigidity [9]
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