A new enabling technology for automotive design and engineering, and other technologies are being showcased by Momentive Performance Materials (MPM) and Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. (MSC) at the International VDI Conference in Mannheim, Germany, March 13-14.
The new Silopren* liquid silicone rubber (LSR) 7090, which completes MPM’s innovative ultra-transparent LSR 7000 series, is a featured product at the VDI Plastics in Automotive Engineering Conference. The innovative ultra-transparent liquid silicone rubber provides an improved hardness of 90 Shore A combined with optical durability. The new glass-clear liquid silicone rubber enables freedom of design and productivity advantages for complex optical parts including high precision surfaces in lighting applications.
“The innovation-enabling technology solutions we bring to our customers address many of the energy efficiency, safety and high quality design issues that are top of mind in automotive engineering,” said Heiko Bayerl, marketing manager elastomers Europe for MPM. “The advanced properties of our broad portfolio of highly specialized materials can help automotive engineers and designers to realize innovation under the hood as well as in the exterior and interior of cars and utility vehicles. We always look to solve future challenges using the value of our products and innovations in technology enabling applications. We work in close cooperation with our customers and support them with material expertise and by bringing new concepts from idea to serial production.”
Momentive Specialty Chemicals is also launching the new EPIKOTE™ Resin 05475 and EPIKURE™ Curing Agent 05500 fast-cure epoxy system developed for resin transfer molding (RTM) and liquid compression molding (LCM) processes. The new system enables mass production of automotive composite parts and is suitable for HP-RTM where a curing time below two minutes can be achieved. The system can also be applied using LCM – potentially the fastest process for less contoured parts where total process cycles of less than two minutes are attainable.
According to Dr. Tareq Hasson, R&D manager composites, for MSC, “This new system features proprietary thermolatency properties, and the very low viscosity ensures excellent fiber wetting and cavity filling, which leads to outstanding handling and processing properties. In addition, the cure process is further accelerated without an extensive exothermic reaction, and this system will meet the future health, safety and environmental requirements outlined by REACH 2015.”
At the VDI Plastics in Automotive Engineering Conference, MPM and MSC are presenting examples of their extensive portfolio of products for automotive design and engineering applications:
Ultra-transparent Silopren* liquid silicone rubber (LSR) for high complex optical lenses and light guides;
Silopren* Silicone elastomers for high performance dampening and sealing solutions, valves and membranes in electrical connectors, engines and powertrains;
SilFORT* hardcoats that can provide superior UV-protection and high hardness for clear and black polycarbonate in such applications as panorama roofs, fixed side lights, pillars and lenses;
Bakelite* engineering thermosets for lightweight automotive solutions for metal substitution and light-weight, under-the-hood designs; and
Epikote* epoxy resins and Epikure* curing agents for composites that can allow for lightweight design in suspensions, frames and structural body panels.