[Zhen Shun Plastics] The Four Most Common Plastics Used in Automotive Interiors and Exteriors and Their Applications
Release time:
2022-10-11 16:03
Source:
The plastics commonly used for automotive interior and exterior parts include: PP class, PC/ABS class, ABS class, PE class, PA class and POM Among these, PP-based materials are used in the largest quantities. Next, let’s briefly introduce several commonly used plastics for automotive interior and exterior components and their respective applications.
PP
PP The Chinese name for this material is polypropylene, a polymer produced by free-radical polymerization of propylene monomers. It is a non-toxic, odorless, and tasteless linear polymer with a milky-white color, high density, no side chains, and high crystallinity. It is also the plastic material most widely used in both interior and exterior automotive components.
Advantages:
1) Low density (the lightest plastic), lightweight;
2) Water absorption rate is less than 0.02%, making it virtually completely resistant to moisture erosion;
3) High impact strength, excellent processing flowability, easy to mold, and superior appearance quality of the finished products;
4) The raw materials are abundant and inexpensive;
5) Good temperature resistance (but poor thermal load deformation capability);
6) Good chemical resistance.
Disadvantages:
In low-temperature environments, the material exhibits brittleness and poor weathering and aging resistance (which can be improved through modification or the addition of additives).
Crystalline materials have a relatively high shrinkage rate and poor dimensional stability.
Application:
The primary components made from PP-based materials include the main body parts such as the instrument panel body, the secondary instrument panel body, the glove box, the storage compartment, the door trim panel body, the pillar trim panel body, the sill trim strip, the seat trim panel, the trunk trim panel, the passenger armrest, the front and rear bumper covers, the side skirt trim panels, the lower trim panel for the front windshield, and the fender liners.
Fiber-reinforced PP materials exhibit high rigidity, particularly when reinforced with long glass fibers or modified with glass fiber mats. They are widely used in structural components, primarily as a substitute for metals, and find applications in parts such as spare-tire compartments, seat frames, and door modules.
PP-LGF material door inner panel
PP bumper
ABS
ABS It is an amorphous material—a copolymer of acrylonitrile, butadiene, and styrene. It combines the excellent properties of three monomers: acrylonitrile (heat resistance, chemical resistance, high rigidity), butadiene (toughness), and styrene (good processability, excellent colorability, poor weather resistance, and susceptibility to oxidation). The properties of ABS primarily depend on the proportions of these three monomers as well as the molecular structures in the two-phase system. By adjusting the ratios of the three components, the method of their combination, and the particle size, it is possible to produce a wide variety of different grades.
Advantages:
Surface decorative properties and secondary processability, including painting, electroplating, welding, bonding, and others;
Good dimensional stability and creep resistance.
Disadvantages:
Poor chemical resistance and inadequate UV resistance (due to the butadiene component), but with high gloss.
It has low heat resistance and a relatively low heat distortion temperature.
Application:
ABS is primarily used in interior and exterior trim components that undergo processes such as painting, electroplating, water transfer printing, and IMD. Examples include painted trim strips, electroplated bright strips, electroplated grilles, electroplated nameplates, and rearview mirror housings. Additionally, due to its excellent dimensional stability—particularly its good thermal stability at high temperatures—ABS is also employed in instrument cluster covers, steering column covers, central panels for door trim, switch buttons, and air vent panels. ABS grades suitable for blow molding can also be used for spoilers.
Precautions:
The part temperature requirements are the primary factor in determining the selection of ABS grades with different heat resistance levels. Additionally, due to ABS’s relatively poor weather resistance, it is generally not used for exterior trim parts exposed to direct sunlight.
ABS steering wheel cover
High-performance electroplating-grade ABS for automotive grilles
PC/ABS
PC/ABS It is an alloy plastic made from a blend of PC and ABS. The PC-ABS blend combines the excellent properties of both PC and ABS.
Advantages:
Heat resistance, toughness, impact strength (particularly suitable for high-strength structural components), and flame retardancy;
Good machinability, excellent appearance, and low density.
The unit cost of the material decreases, and the viscosity of the melt decreases.
As an alloy of two amorphous plastics, PC/ABS boasts excellent overall performance with no obvious drawbacks.
Application:
PC/ABS is used in decorative components that require a certain level of heat resistance and high impact resistance, such as electroplated door handles and center console trim panels. Thanks to its excellent low-temperature performance, dimensional stability, and outstanding adhesion to foams, PC/ABS is also frequently employed in the main body of instrument panels for high-end vehicle models.
PC/ABS is used for the center console/CD holder.
PC/ABS alloy used for door handles
POM
POM It is a semicrystalline plastic known in Chinese as polyoxymethylene. POM is available in two types: homopolymer and copolymer. Homopolymer POM is a homopolymer of trioxane or formaldehyde; copolymer POM is a copolymer of trioxane and 1,3-dioxolane. Homopolymer POM has a high degree of crystallinity and exhibits superior performance—such as mechanical strength, rigidity, and heat distortion temperature—compared to copolymer POM. In contrast, copolymer POM has a lower melting point and outperforms homopolymer POM in terms of thermal stability, resistance to chemical corrosion, flow characteristics, processability, and continuous-use temperature.
The end group of POM is a hemiacetal (—CH2OH). When the temperature exceeds 100°C, this end group tends to break down. Therefore, it generally needs to undergo end-group capping treatment to stabilize it, thereby enhancing its thermal stability and increasing its maximum service temperature.
Advantages:
High wear resistance, specific strength and specific stiffness comparable to those of metals, and excellent fatigue resistance.
Disadvantages:
Low temperature resistance, poor flame retardancy, and high shrinkage rate.
Application:
POM is primarily used in components that demand high creep resistance, fatigue resistance, wear resistance, or self-lubrication, such as bumper mounting brackets, door handles, latches, internal mechanisms of sealing devices, and window lift systems.
POM used for speaker grilles
Ultra-high-viscosity POM is used in window regulator assemblies.
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About Zhen Shun Zhen Shun Plastics has become an authorized Tier-1 distributor for LG Chem, specializing in the sale of LG Chem’s full range of plastic products: (1) Modified engineering plastics, including modified PC, PC/ABS, PP, PBT, PBT/ABS, ABS+GF, PA6/66, light-diffusing PC, PPO, PPS, POM, TPEE, etc., covering various grades and specifications such as flame-retardant, glass-fiber reinforced, long-glass-fiber reinforced, and mineral-filled (TALC); (2) General-purpose plastics, including ABS (flame-retardant, transparent, high-gloss, electroplated, scratch-resistant, heat-resistant, high-impact, high-flow, etc.), PMMA, ASA, SAN, PP, PE, PS; (3) Post-consumer recycled (PCR) environmentally friendly materials, including PCR-ABS, PCR-PC, PCR-PC/ABS, PCR-PP; (4) Modified additives, including impact modifier MBS and toughening agents, etc. Mobile/WeChat: 139 2640 0876. We welcome calls and emails for inquiries and discussions. 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