Although many automakers have recently expressed sustainability goals, the automotive plastics market continues to grow at a rapid rate.
By 2027, this area of the market is expected to reach a value of $53,8 billion, which is a growth of 5.4 percent. Plastic isn’t the enemy of sustainability it was once thought to be, as long as automakers, recycling plants, and everyone in between continue to address the need to recycle, reuse, and reduce with plastic. This material is oil-based, but it can be used many times over for different car parts at various points in the recycling process.
What types of automotive plastics are used?
PVC is one of the most common advanced plastics used
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is one of the most common plastics used in the entire world. This plastic is extremely flexible, offers amazing thermal stability, is flame retardant, and doesn’t contain much lead. Automakers use PVC to mold various car parts, from doors to electric cable sheathing and instrument panels. Even with new sustainability processes, PVC will continue to be one of the most useful types of plastic. Most of us are familiar with PVC for its use around our homes and offices.
Many automakers use ABS when building cars
ABS is an incredible plastic that’s made of polymerizing styrene and acrylonitrile. This plastic has a low production cost and is easy to machine. The surface is shiny and impervious, which makes it a great choice for dashboards and wheel covers. ABS is easy to paint and glue, and it has excellent insulation properties. ABS is one of the most important automotive plastics in the industry, and it can be found in various places in nearly every vehicle.
Polystyrene is another common plastic used
Polystyrene is used in car fittings, display bases, and buttons. This type of plastic is resistant to chemicals and electricity, making it extremely useful. It’s easy to make and it’s highly elastic, which makes it moldable, especially when it’s used as a plastic around metal or other material. Polystyrene is strong and impact resistant, which makes it great for items in cars that get repeatedly touched, such as the buttons on the dashboard or the levers on the steering column.
Your headlight lenses are likely made of polycarbonate
For areas of cars that require tough and impact-resistant plastics, the automotive industry chooses polycarbonate. This plastic has excellent thermal, electrical, thermal, and weathering properties as well. Most likely, your headlight lenses are made of this type of plastic. It’s also used for bumpers, helmets, and bullet-proof glass. The hard, stiff nature of this plastic makes it ideal for these areas of most vehicles. It’s not likely automakers will move away from polycarbonate anytime soon.
Most electrical insulation in cars is made of polyethylene
Polyethylene is a low-density plastic that’s cost-effective and useful for insulating the electrical components of your vehicle. This type of plastic is also found in reinforced glass. Polyethylene is impact resistant and extremely tough, making it the ideal material for its purpose in many vehicles. This plastic is also moisture-resistant, which is why it’s good for protecting electrical components in cars. These items need protection from the outside elements and the weather that you might face when you’re driving.
Precision car parts are typically made of polyoxymethylene (POM)
The type of automotive plastics required for high-performance, precision components is POM. This material is ideal for gears, interior and exterior trim, and fuel systems. Knowing the gears of a car are made out of plastic, and not metal can be a bit disconcerting. That said, POM has a high heat resistance and excellent properties to make it one of the strongest plastic materials in vehicles. This thermoplastic material can replace some metals because of its dimensional stability and strength.
Polyamide is another extremely strong plastic
Areas of your vehicle that could fast water but also need to be rigid are likely where you’ll find polyamide. This plastic can be extruded and molded to be used for parts that require high-strength material to function properly. Polyamide is perfect for its abrasion resistance and resilient nature. This material can be found in gears, cams, bearings, and waterproof coatings. The strength and rigidity of this material make it ideal for these parts that would normally be made out of steel.
Areas exposed to chemicals are typically made of polypropylene
This saturated polymer is one of the most useful automotive plastics in the industry. Most gas cans, chemical tanks, and cable insulation is made of polypropylene. Additionally, the carpet fibers in your car are made of this material which makes these carpets more resilient to the dirt, grime, and chemicals you might track into your car.
How do automotive plastics make cars more sustainable?
Improved fuel efficiency
Plastics aren’t going anywhere, but the automotive industry has found ways to use this material to make cars more efficient. In fact, nearly half of the vehicle you drive is made of some type of plastic rather than metal. Although this much material is used, it only makes up ten percent of the vehicle’s weight. This lowered weight compared to meta allows cars to be more efficient.
Automotive plastics are recycled more than ever
Plastic recycling is fairly new compared to other recycled materials. The chemical exposure, odors, and fillers in plastics made it difficult to recycle in the past, but today nearly everything made of plastic, steel, rubber, and glass can be recycled. This means most of the parts of any vehicle can be broken down and recycled. Even when some materials can’t be recycled, many automakers have found ways to use these plastics to create other car parts, which increases the sustainability of these materials.
Cars last much longer because of the use of plastics in manufacturing
Durable, lightweight plastics help ensure cars last much longer. The lightweight nature of this material compared to steel means less strain on engines, braking systems, transmission, and other systems. Additionally, plastic doesn’t rust or corrode like metal does. Plastic can withstand the elements much easier than metal, which helps cars stay on the road much longer than when they were made primarily of metal.
The increase in valuation of the automotive plastics segment shows that experts feel these materials are necessary, will continue to be used, and can be made more sustainable than ever before.
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