Automotive Interior Components Research Articles

Thermal and mechanical properties of high-performance polyester nanobiocomposites reinforced with pre-treated sunn hemp fiber for automotive applications

The objective of this study is to create high-performance nano biocomposites by utilizing unsaturated polyester resin (PE) reinforced with pre-treated short (2 cm) lengthened sunn hemp (SH) fibers and by incorporating 5 % nanoclay (hydrophilic bentonite) through the compression molding technique. The addition of 5 % nanoclay to the biocomposite significantly increased the flexural strength by approximately 165 % for H2O2-treated SH fiber and 148 % for KMnO4-treated SH fiber, when compared to untreated fibers. This enhancement was achieved through phase separation, intercalation, and exfoliation between the SH fibers, polyester resin (PE), and 5 % nanoclay. In particular, the H2O2-treated SH fiber nanobiocomposite exhibited a 43 % higher flexural strength compared to its corresponding biocomposite. The incorporation of nanoclay significantly decreased the water absorption of the bio-composites from 11.86 % in the untreated samples to a minimum of 2.76 % in the H2O2-treated SH/PE nanobiocomposite. The study suggests that short SH fiber/PE/nanoclay nanobiocomposites could be used as effective alternatives to synthetic composites in various applications, including the aerospace industry, household products, and automotive interior components such as side panels, seat frames, and central consoles. Additionally, they could be utilized in exterior parts like door panels and dashboards.

Environmental chamber analysis of objective volatile organic compounds emissions and subjective olfactory perception from main automotive interior components

This study examined the emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and their associated odors from five key automotive interior components: door panels, weatherstrips, seats, headliners, and carpets. Objective VOC emissions and subjective odor evaluations were conducted in an environmental chamber with controlled temperature, humidity, and ventilation rates. VOC analysis revealed that alkanes and aromatic compounds were the predominant emissions, together accounting for 43 %–61 % of the total number of emission types. Other notable emissions included aldehydes and ketones. The overlap in the emitted compounds was substantial, with 13 % of the compounds being universally emitted, 42 % emitted by two or more components, and 45 % unique to individual components. Subjective odor evaluations identified distinct odor fingerprints for each component, with weatherstrips having the highest odor intensity and headliners having the lowest. Perceived pleasantness (PP) ratings were generally negative, indicating the unappealing nature of the odors. Odor activity value (OAV) analysis showed a weak linear relationship with odor intensity, particularly because of the negative correlation in weatherstrips, suggesting significant masking or enhancement effects among odor molecules. Aldehydes and acids were the major contributors to OAV, whereas alkanes, which are often overlooked, were also significant because of their high emission levels.

Polymer Composite Thermoforming: Ultrasonic-Assisted Optimization for Enhanced Adhesive Performance in Automotive Interior Components.

Dual-component epoxy resins are widely used for bonding different materials in automotive interior processing. However, due to the complexity and variability of automotive interior parts, uneven temperature distribution on curved surfaces during the thermoforming process can lead to uneven thermal stress distribution, damaging the interior components. This study focuses on addressing the damage issues caused by uneven thermal stress distribution during the thermoforming of automotive interior components. By monitoring the temperature and strain on the adhesive surface of the interior components during processing, using sensors and combining the readings with a finite element simulation, damage to the adhesive during processing was simulated. Based on this, a segmented thermoforming method for the model surface was employed, but it was found that this method did not significantly reduce the level of damage to the adhesive during application. Building upon the segmented simulation, significant results were achieved by applying temperature modulation at a certain frequency to adjust the damage of the interior components during processing. The techniques used in this study successfully reduced the unevenness of the adhesive surface temperature, improved the performance of the adhesive during application through segmented optimization and the application of ultrasound-assisted techniques, and markedly reduced the manufacturing process's energy consumption.

Surface characterization and analysis of textured injection moulded PC-ABS automotive interior components

Automotive interior components are produced by injection moulding due to its cost effectiveness in mass production. The surfaces of these components are textured to control the appearance and other surface functional properties such as wear and scratch resistance. Key challenges lie in replicating the features of mould tool with high aspect ratio which are influenced by the polymer and large number of process variables. Hence, to control the aesthetic properties, it is important to improve the understanding of the replication of textured surfaces and its relationship with measured gloss. In this study, the surface topography of PC-ABS samples is investigated using coherence scanning interferometry. Replication of two types- coarse and fine grain surface texture are investigated to identify the effects of tool temperature, injection speed and holding pressure. Areal surface parameters are scrutinized for the quantitative characterization and discrimination of study samples surface topographies. The correlations between process parameters, measured gloss and areal surface parameters are discussed. The results show significant influence of process variables on the replication of surface topography and measured gloss. The grain pattern governed the set of surface parameters selected and the variation in gloss. The process variables are observed to influence different region or distribution of specific surface features represented by surface parameters.

Impact of Zinc Oxide Addition on Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunches Foamed Polymer Composites for Automotive Interior Parts

The sustainable use of agricultural waste to generate valuable products while minimizing environmental burdens is increasing rapidly. Multiple sources of fibers have been intensively studied concerning their application in various fields and industries. However, few publications have extensively discussed the property's performance of oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) composites. With main properties similar to composites currently listed for industrial applications, OPEFB is worth listing as a potential composite for industrial applications and non-structural material alternatives. OPEFB-reinforced polymer composites are expected to be applied to automotive interior parts. This study aims to determine the effect of adding zinc oxide (ZnO) and polyurethane on OPEFB-reinforced polymer composites for automotive interior parts. This composite was produced using the hand lay-up method with 70% resin, 15% OPEFB fiber, 15% polyurethane as a blowing agent, and four variations of ZnO at 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%. The OPEFB particle sizes are 40, 60, 80, and 100, respectively. The composite was examined to determine mechanical, morphology, chemical, and thermal characteristics. It was observed that the addition of 20% ZnO caused ZnO agglomeration, weakening the interfacial bond between OPEFB particles, polyester, polyurethane, and ZnO filler. Overall, the results showed that adding ZnO and polyurethane to the composite increased tensile, compressive, flexural, and impact strength, as well as thermal stability with more significant values up to 160%, 225%, 100%, 100%, and 4.3%, respectively. This result depicted that the best composition was specimens with 15% ZnO and 149 microns OPEFB fibers particle size. It is considered a promising candidate to be applied in automotive interior components.

Measured and simulated examination of the propagation paths of structure‐borne sound using the structural intensity for fibre reinforced injection moulded thermoplastic parts

AbstractIn product development e.g. electromobility, engineers need to place special emphasis on acoustics. A large number of automotive interior components consist of injection‐moulded thermoplastic parts. If required these lightweight components are reinforced with fibres or fillings. This reinforcement leads to a higher vibration sensitivity and higher natural frequencies. Due to the fact that the auditory threshold decreases with a rising excitation frequency, a conflict of objective between acoustics and lightweight components exists. In order to influence the acoustic behaviour in early development stages, the structure‐borne sound including its source and propagation paths have to be analysed. An appropriate parameter by which to visualise these pieces is the structural intensity (STI) which is calculated by the product of velocity and stress. Previous investigations have mainly focused on the behaviour of isotropic materials e.g. steel calculated using FEM. An experimental determination of the STI is a challenge since the stress of a vibrating structure cannot be directly measured. Furthermore the experimental determination is limited to the surface of the structure. First investigations using FEM were carried out to examine composite materials with a unidirectional fibre orientation and revealed a high potential to influence the structural behaviour in acoustic matters, i.e. the transmission of structure‐borne sound. Therefore a current research project deals with the opportunities to influence the vibro‐acoustic behaviour of injection moulded parts using the structural intensity. In this paper a method is presented to examine the influence of fibres, fillings and geometric modifications on the STI for injection moulded parts using FEM. A method to measure the STI for orthotropic parts is also presented. In addition to a comparison between the measured and the simulated results, a look‐ahead at planned future investigations in the research project is given.

Impact behaviour of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene after temperature and humidity load

This study deals with acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) which was subjected the drop-weight test before and after temperature and humidity load. ABS is an engineering plastic and also an important engineering terpolymer, which has butadiene part uniformly distributed through the acrylonitrile-styrene matrix and is commonly used in production of automotive interior components. The injection moulded ABS samples were subjected the penetration test at fall height 100 J before and after temperature and humidity load and the results were subsequently evaluated and discussed. It was found out that ABS after temperature and humidity load has lower impact resistance.

Integration of Artificial Neural Network and Expert System for Material Classification of Natural Fibre Reinforced Polymer Composites

Diversified choice of materials from natural fibre reinforced polymer composites with similar properties complicate the materials selection for engineering products. Implementation of expert system alone makes it difficult to scrutinize the vast selected materials. Hybrid of expert system with neural network technology is desired. Classification of material through neural network under various criteria influences the decision in narrowing down the selection. In this study, the integration of artificial neural network with expert system for material classification is explored. The computational tool Matlab is proposed for classification and the materials focused were natural fibre composites. Levenberg-Marquardt training algorithm, which provides faster rate of convergence, is applied for training the feed forward network. The system proves to be consistant with 93.3% classification accuracy with 15 neurons in the hidden layer. The validation of the output is compared with the target on the basis of desired mechanical properties of natural fibre reinforced polymer composites for automotive interior components.

Influence of natural long fiber in mechanical, thermal and recycling properties of thermoplastic composites in automotive components

Natural fiber thermoplastic components in the automotive industry can afford the advantages of weight, cost reduction and recyclability, compared to conventional materials. Handlings of natural fibers in automotive exterior and interior components are essential to recover eco-efficiency and renewability. Natural fibers have recently become affordable to automotive industry as an alternative reinforcement for glass fiber reinforced thermoplastics. The best way to boost the fuel efficiency without sacrificing safety is to employ fiber reinforced composite materials in the body of the cars so that weight reduction can be achieved. The goals are to amplify the performance of the long fiber thermoplastics (LFRT) components by replacing the glass fibers with natural kenaf fiber and also to trim down the production cost. This research is focused on development of partially eco-friendly injection molded hybrid long fiber reinforced thermo plastics with natural kenaf fiber by impregnation process to improve the desired mechanical, thermal properties and recycling of the automotive components. Key words: Long fiber reinforced thermoplastics, kenaf fiber, hybrid, impregnation process.

Dow introduces new polyolefin elastomer for automotive TPOs

The Dow Chemical Company is introducing Engage™ XLT, a new grade of polyolefin elastomer for thermoplastic olefins (TPOs) used for automotive interior and exterior components. When compounded with polypropylene, this new material delivers a ‘combination of benefits not previously possible’ with other TPO impact modifiers, the company says.

Robust design of an interior hard trim to improve occupant safety in a vehicle crash

Head injury ranks among the top contributors in automobile accidents. Consequently, although styling is treated important, safety of occupants in a crash receives preemptive priority in the design of automotive interior components. Additionally, the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 201 has laid down certain requirements to be fulfilled by automobile manufacturers for producing a safe vehicle. One of the requirements stipulate dummy equivalent of the Head Injury Criteria, i.e. HIC( d ) value for the interior components of a vehicle to be below 1000 under certain stated conditions. In this paper, we provide a robust design approach to achieve the requirements for one such interior component, viz. an interior hard trim that covers the pillar closest to the driver's head on the left-hand side of the vehicle.

Erosive separation of organic coatings from fibrous substrates

The separation of organic coatings from fibrous substrates is a key problem in recycling processes. This problem applies to carpets, technical textiles and automotive interior components. This paper reports about results of laboratory studies involving the application of high-speed liquid jets to solve this problem. Results from high-speed video images are used to qualify the principal erosion process. It is shown that the coating material is first ground by the jet; the generated erosion debris is then pushed through the permeable fibrous fabric of the substrate. It is also found that threshold conditions exist for the coating grinding process and for the debris transportation. These threshold conditions depend on target composition and process parameters. A phenomenological separation model is introduced. The influence of key process parameters, namely jet velocity, exposure time, stand-off distance and impact angle, is also investigated. It is found that high-speed liquid jets are suitable tools for separating organic coatings completely and selectively from fibrous substrates. Recommendations on how to optimise the erosion process are derived from the results.

Magnesium technology: Hand-in-hand with the industry

For most readers not fully familiar with the magnesium industry, its small size may be a hidden fact. Scientists embarking on magnesium R&D sometimes fail to note that the small scale of this industry, at only 400 tonnes of annual production, may have an important impact on research. The researchers need to quickly learn to align their research well with the needs of the industry and to rate their research objectives and results against techno-economic criteria. The advantage to the R&D community, however, is that in this mode it is possible to quickly see the concrete results of scientific activity. In actual fact, the magnesium industry has a good track record of benefiting from and using the results of technology and material development. In the 1980s, the advent of high-purity alloy technology with strict tolerance limits on copper, iron, and nickel contaminants and the addition of manganese to control the iron level made it possible for magnesium to have much-improved corrosion resistance. This led to a jump in its use in automotive and electronics applications, which have grown at 5–10% per year. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, more pronounced growth was seen, reaching 30% in some years. This was mainly due to the increase in the structural use of magnesium in automotive interior components. Such applications as the magnesium instrument panel and steering wheel are common applications in passenger cars now. This would not have been possible without the development of high-ductility Mg-Al-Mn alloys (AM). More work is ongoing to develop alloys and processes for magnesium, which will further growth. In this month’s JOM, we are pleased to include papers that study the magnesium market as well as the technical Magnesium Technology: Hand-in-Hand with the Industry

Thermoformable Automotive Composites Containing Kenaf and Other Cellulosic Fibers

Currently, there is a major upsurge in research on the use of recyclable and biodegrad able materials in manufactured products. This has triggered a need for biodegradable nonwovens for nearly forty automotive interior components, which currently contain traditional materials such as glass and other manufactured fibers and foams that are difficult to recycle. By incorporating agricultural lignocellulosic (bast) fibers such as kenaf, jute, hemp, and flax in the manufacture of automotive nonwovens, their biode gradability can be enhanced. Because of the different densities of kenaf and glass fibers, kenaf-based nonwovens may be lighter than those containing glass fibers, which may lead to lightweight, "green" automotive interiors. Furthermore, preliminary research has shown that several cellulosic-based (kenaf, jute, and other less expensive vegetable/bast fibers) nonwovens are efficient sound absorbers and reduce the noise level in cars. Overall, these nonwovens meet or exceed industry specifications of flammability, odor, mildew, bond strength, drapeability and tensile strength, elongation, and compression properties. In this paper, we briefly describe the fabrication and physical, mechanical, and acoustical properties of needlepunched thermoformable nonwoven fabrics for certain automotive interior applications. These nonwoven fabrics were developed using optimally retted kenaf and jute fibers in various blends with greige cotton, recycled polyester, and off-quality polypropylene. Successful use of kenaf fibers in automotive nonwovens would be environmentally benign and should lead to a considerable expansion in kenaf cultiva tion.

Scratch resistance of mineral‐filled polypropylene materials

AbstractPigmented mineral‐filled polypropylene (PP‐PMF) is marketed as a potential alternative to acrylonitrile‐butyldiene‐styrene (ABS) and Polycarbonate/ABS for automotive interior components. PP‐PMF is more easily damaged by surface scratch/mar, thus limiting its acceptance for such applications. This study focuses on investigating the scratch/mar mechanisms of PP‐PMF having different mineral fillers and additives. A new method is introduced to characterize the scratch visibility by image analysis. A correlation is found between scratch visibility and scratch hardness measured by interferometer. It is found that Wollastonite filler imparts higher scratch/mar resistance. Addition of an interface modifier and a lubricant can further improve scratch/mar resistance. It is also found that Talc‐filled PP‐PMF has poor scratch/mar resistance, irrespective of the addition of an interface modifier or a lubricant.

Vegetable fibres in automotive interior components

This paper gives a brief status of the state of the art of the use of plastic/vegetable fibre composite materials for interior car parts and the technologies to realise such parts (injection moulding, low pressure injection moulding, thermoforming, thermocompression and co-injection moulding). The development activity on composite plastic-wood materials to be used in the automotive sector performed by J.C.A. is also presented, in particular the research lines performed on several kinds of vegetable fibres (eucalyptus, jute, flax, kenaf) to be applied on semi-finished products: granules (short vegetable fibre) for injection moulding, and extruded sheets (long and short vegetable fibre) for thermoforming.