- Email: [email protected]
Borealis is pushing the boundaries with its new lightweight Fibremod™ portfolio
Reinforced Plastics Volume 00, Number 00 June 2016
www.reinforcedplastics.com
FEATURE
Borealis is pushing the boundaries with its new lightweight FibremodTM portfolio Nicholas Kolesch Head of Marketing, Borealis Automotive, Borealis AG, IZD Tower, Wagramer Strasse 17-19, 1220 Vienna, Austria
Borealis, a leading provider of innovative, value-creating plastics solutions, has been supplying polyolefin plastic materials for engineering applications in the automotive industry for over 50 years. Using its unique and proprietary Borstar1 technology and its FibremodTM post-reactor technology for fiber reinforced polypropylene (PP) compounds, Borealis delivers ideal replacement solutions for conventional materials such as metal, rubber and engineering polymers. In the automotive industry, Borealis’ leading-edge polyolefin plastic materials are used in a wide range of exterior, interior, and under-the-bonnet applications, including bumpers, body panels, trims, dashboards, door claddings, climate control and cooling systems, air intake manifolds and battery cases. Most recently, Borealis has announced a capacity expansion at their Fibremod polypropylene long glass fiber (PP-LGF) production facility in Monza, Italy, introduced new innovative solutions for composite applications and launched a portfolio of carbon fiber reinforced polypropylene grades. Expanding Fibremod capacity in Monza to meet heightened demand As one of Borealis’ most flexible specialty plants, the Monza, Italy, production facility was first equipped with a Fibremod PP-LGF production line in 2013. Borealis is now expanding its total Fibremod LGF capacity to ten kilotons per year to follow the increased market demand for performance materials that enable weight reduction, cost-competitiveness and enhanced sustainability. The customized Fibremod PP-LGF product portfolio brings superior mechanical performance, high purity and excellent surface aesthetics for a wide range of applications. With the new capacity in Monza, Borealis will be able to provide further weightsaving solutions with an extended product portfolio offer. Launched in 2013, the Fibremod family of engineered short (SGF) and long (LGF) compounds is a cornerstone innovation. Fibremod PP-LGF is produced using a proprietary pultrusion technology to achieve high quality materials with excellent glass fiber impregnation, ultra-broad molecular weight distribution and increased fiber length in both pellets and final parts. The Fibremod PP-LGF also contributes to a more environmentally friendly
E-mail address: [email protected].
production solution thanks to reduced processing temperatures, which require less energy when compared to alternatives such as engineering plastics and metal.
Figure 1. LGF line/roving allocation in Monza, Italy. Photo: ß Borealis.
0034-3617/ß 2016 Published by Elsevier Ltd. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.repl.2016.05.002
1 Please cite this article in press as: N. Kolesch, Reinf. Plast. (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.repl.2016.05.002
REPL-742; No of Pages 4 FEATURE
The next steps in Borealis Fibremod PP-LGF Technology
FEATURE
Striving always for better performance, Borealis Fibremod long glass fiber (LGF) technology has demonstrated its potential to become a clear leader in reinforced plastic production technology. In recent years, the LGF pellet production technology has become mature in its basic configuration where endless fiber bundles are used (rovings), which are first impregnated or coated with polymers and in a final step cut to pellets with a length of 10–15 mm. With the reinforcement fibers aligned in parallel in the pellets and only the pellet length itself being the limit for the fiber length, these materials can reach outstanding performance. In addition to its excellent fiber impregnation, Borealis’ proprietary production technology allows for flexibility in the use of different polymer matrices. New research and development activities target further detailed improvement to achieve even more flexibility in the use of different reinforcements and polymer combinations. These efforts can lead to superior material properties including improved balance of stiffness and strength, as well as energy absorption solutions that, together with better and more consistent product quality, will optimize the conversion process for our customers. Furthermore the increased flexibility of Borealis’ production process will allow Fibremod PP-LGF grades to replace further high performance competitor materials such as engineering plastics and metals. The leading mechanical performance can be combined with lightweight, easy and extremely flexible part design, tailor-made coloration and additivation that in combination with other materials allows for very interesting solutions to be developed in the final parts. On top of proprietary production technology for Borealis Fibremod products, our customers benefit from sophisticated application testing methods and standards, as well as in-house modeling and simulation capabilities. This allows Borealis to offer comprehensive support in the development and implementation of high performance applications.
Borealis composite applications: excellent mechanical properties and lighter weight In the pursuit of weight reduction to meet increasingly stringent CO2 emission regulations around the world, the automotive industry is constantly seeking new innovations that enable lightweight part production. Plastics, more specifically polypropylene, have been the product of choice for a variety of applications in all types of vehicles. However, as fiber reinforced PP makes its way into more and more parts, from structural carriers to beams, naturally, some technical challenges occur. An example could be highly stress loaded areas on seat carriers with consequences related to safety or high engine heat exposed areas of front ends.
Reinforced Plastics Volume 00, Number 00 June 2016
To mitigate these possible material limitations, new technologies are being developed and put in place. Taking the inspiration from the airline industry where thermosetting composites are commonly used, Tier 1 automotive suppliers together with material producers like Borealis have been busy developing a new generation of lightweight hybrid solutions made out of polypropylene. These polypropylene composites are based on pre-cut PP matrix woven fabric based sheets or structured tapes over-molded with high performance fiber reinforced compounds. These sheets or tapes are laid inside the mold cavity to exactly compensate for the potential material weakness in the areas where they are needed, helping to achieve highest possible component light weighting. Having the composite sheet or tape, as well as the over-molding performance, materials based on polypropylene bring a number of essential benefits including very good processability and excellent compatibility of the two materials in the final application, delivering outstanding mechanical performance. Furthermore, such an approach increases the ease of recycling of such single material solutions. Borealis has been working closely with key value chain partners to develop materials for specific composite applications. The most promising area of development is seen to be in structural carriers, where the substitution of PP for conventional materials like steel and more expensive engineering plastics is being accelerated. In addition to collaboration with composite sheet and tape producers, to whom Borealis supplies its innovative PP resins, Borealis is in the advanced development stage in pilot projects with several Tier 1 suppliers. Working closely with Brose, the Coburg, and Germany-based firm known for its innovative mechatronics systems for doors and seats as well as electric motors, Borealis has supported the engineering of a PP composite and PP short glass fiber based seat carrier solution replacing steel. Another PP composite sheet based solution is under development, this time in combination with PP-LGF, for light weighting of door carriers. Furthermore, the collaboration with Takata, one of the world’s leading suppliers of airbags, has led to the development of a nextgeneration airbag housing made of PP-LGF and composite sheet. Polypropylene composites are a rather new technology for the automotive industry with which new challenges will certainly come. The ways in which parts are designed have to be adjusted to take full advantage of the material itself. It is also important to work together with customers and value chain partners on how to best specify and evaluate the mechanical performance of concrete final applications. Also, while based on known production technologies, composite application production processes require some additional steps, such as the cutting and pre-heating of sheets that need to be implemented.
Fibremod carbon: high performance reinforced polypropylene compounds
Figure 2. Borealis proprietary LGF production technology. ß Borealis.
In addition to developments in long-glass fiber and composite technology, Borealis continues to push the boundaries with new materials. Borealis has recently introduced three Fibremod carbon compounds that combine light weight, stiffness, strength and competitiveness in one new innovative material. The aircraft industry has been the pioneer in lightweight construction with Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics (CFRP) widely in
2 Please cite this article in press as: N. Kolesch, Reinf. Plast. (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.repl.2016.05.002
REPL-742; No of Pages 4
use to reduce fuel consumption and overall operating costs. CFRP have also been used in high-end sports cars and motorsport vehicles. With ever increasing demands for improved fuel economy, these materials are also finding their way into everyday consumer cars. European Union regulations to reduce CO2 emissions for new cars to 95 g/km on average by 2020 and the US CAFE standard, which aims to increase the mileage of new car models from 39 mpg to 60 mpg in 2025, have created a new sense of urgency for lightweight construction. OEMs and Tiers continue to allocate a high proportion of their R&D budgets to develop new ideas for lightweight construction in high volume car production. Borealis took up this challenge and underpins its position to be the supplier of choice for the automotive industry by offering a differentiated solution. The use of carbon fiber leads to a significant increase in stiffness compared to traditional glass fiber construction and the Fibremod carbon compounds provide stiffness not seen before in polypropylene reaching up to 20,000 MPa combined with an extraordinary low density. Specific stiffness is a way of comparing different densities and stiffness to determine the most effective material and is the established method to evaluate benefits to optimize lightweight construction. In this comparison, the Fibremod carbon materials outperform even lightweight metals like aluminum or magnesium leading to a light weighting potential of more than 60% compared to steel. In practice, this means that components can be developed with similar or even higher stiffness and lower weight. For structural parts the geometry can be adapted to fully benefit from the gain in stiffness, thereby opening further weight saving potential.
Fibremod Carbon makes light weight construction with carbon fiber affordable The Borealis Fibremod carbon portfolio is a highly cost-effective alternative to other engineering polymers, high performance polymers or even lightweight metals. The same weight reduction can be achieved with Fibremod carbon compared to leading materials such as magnesium or carbon fiber reinforced polyamide with the additional benefits of no contact corrosion, no moisture absorption and suitability for economic injection molding processes, while incurring only half of the costs compared to traditional materials. Compared to aluminum the cost benefit is still significant, while a comparison to PA6-GF30 shows neutral cost advantage, but weight reduction potential is more than 30 percent.
Figure 3. Specific bending stiffness of Fibremod with glass fiber (GF) and carbon fiber (CF) compared to conventional lightweight metals and polyamide (PA) solutions. ß Borealis.
FEATURE
Figure 4. Relative material cost increase per kg of weight savings, comparing Fibremod with conventional materials such as metals, polyamide (PA). ß Borealis.
Borealis Fibremod technology reduces development time and costs Because carbon fiber reinforced PP grades are by nature complex, they require extensive engineering. For this reason, Borealis has developed computer-aided methods to predict fiber orientation and distribution, thus allowing for an integrative simulation of the final application performance. Borealis has also established stateof-the-art testing methods and standards for fiber reinforced PP and is fully committed to further enhancing its modeling and simulation methodologies. This means Borealis can provide comprehensive support to its customers in developing and implementing new lightweight solutions based on Fibremod carbon materials where expensive prototyping and physical testing of the final application can be reduced to a minimum. The Fibremod carbon grades are especially suited for applications such as chain adjusters, pump housings, headlamp housings, oil pans, seat frames, arm rests, gear shifting gates and sunroof frames. Structural parts in interiors and under the bonnet applications and motorcycle parts are also being explored. With the launch of carbon fiber PP grades and material solutions for composite based applications Borealis is leveraging its proprietary technologies and processes to offer a complete PP product package for advanced light weighting of automotive parts. ‘‘Our goal is to provide our customers with step-change
Figure 5. KTM motorcycle rear frame Photo: ß Borealis. 3
Please cite this article in press as: N. Kolesch, Reinf. Plast. (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.repl.2016.05.002
FEATURE
Reinforced Plastics Volume 00, Number 00 June 2016
REPL-742; No of Pages 4 FEATURE
FEATURE Figure 6. Borealis FibremodTM Technology portfolio. ß Borealis.
Reinforced Plastics Volume 00, Number 00 June 2016
materials that enable light-weighting and design flexibility. The Fibremod family of SGF, LGF and carbon fiber grades, together with developments in composite application technology, gives automotive designers and engineers a toolbox to help create parts for the next generation of lightweight automobiles,’’ says Nicholas Kolesch, Head of Marketing, Borealis Automotive. ‘‘Building on our proven track record of Value Creation through Innovation, we are able to offer a new generation of high performance lightweight materials to complement our comprehensive product portfolio,’’ he comments. ‘‘When combined with our experience on hundreds of engineering projects in the last decade, Borealis is helping the automotive industry to further reduce weight, development cycle time and costs.’’ Borealis; www.borealisgroup.com/www.borealisdrivingtomorrow.com Borouge; www.borouge.com For more information, contact [email protected].
4 Please cite this article in press as: N. Kolesch, Reinf. Plast. (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.repl.2016.05.002
www.reinforcedplastics.com
FEATURE
Borealis is pushing the boundaries with its new lightweight FibremodTM portfolio Nicholas Kolesch Head of Marketing, Borealis Automotive, Borealis AG, IZD Tower, Wagramer Strasse 17-19, 1220 Vienna, Austria
Borealis, a leading provider of innovative, value-creating plastics solutions, has been supplying polyolefin plastic materials for engineering applications in the automotive industry for over 50 years. Using its unique and proprietary Borstar1 technology and its FibremodTM post-reactor technology for fiber reinforced polypropylene (PP) compounds, Borealis delivers ideal replacement solutions for conventional materials such as metal, rubber and engineering polymers. In the automotive industry, Borealis’ leading-edge polyolefin plastic materials are used in a wide range of exterior, interior, and under-the-bonnet applications, including bumpers, body panels, trims, dashboards, door claddings, climate control and cooling systems, air intake manifolds and battery cases. Most recently, Borealis has announced a capacity expansion at their Fibremod polypropylene long glass fiber (PP-LGF) production facility in Monza, Italy, introduced new innovative solutions for composite applications and launched a portfolio of carbon fiber reinforced polypropylene grades. Expanding Fibremod capacity in Monza to meet heightened demand As one of Borealis’ most flexible specialty plants, the Monza, Italy, production facility was first equipped with a Fibremod PP-LGF production line in 2013. Borealis is now expanding its total Fibremod LGF capacity to ten kilotons per year to follow the increased market demand for performance materials that enable weight reduction, cost-competitiveness and enhanced sustainability. The customized Fibremod PP-LGF product portfolio brings superior mechanical performance, high purity and excellent surface aesthetics for a wide range of applications. With the new capacity in Monza, Borealis will be able to provide further weightsaving solutions with an extended product portfolio offer. Launched in 2013, the Fibremod family of engineered short (SGF) and long (LGF) compounds is a cornerstone innovation. Fibremod PP-LGF is produced using a proprietary pultrusion technology to achieve high quality materials with excellent glass fiber impregnation, ultra-broad molecular weight distribution and increased fiber length in both pellets and final parts. The Fibremod PP-LGF also contributes to a more environmentally friendly
E-mail address: [email protected].
production solution thanks to reduced processing temperatures, which require less energy when compared to alternatives such as engineering plastics and metal.
Figure 1. LGF line/roving allocation in Monza, Italy. Photo: ß Borealis.
0034-3617/ß 2016 Published by Elsevier Ltd. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.repl.2016.05.002
1 Please cite this article in press as: N. Kolesch, Reinf. Plast. (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.repl.2016.05.002
REPL-742; No of Pages 4 FEATURE
The next steps in Borealis Fibremod PP-LGF Technology
FEATURE
Striving always for better performance, Borealis Fibremod long glass fiber (LGF) technology has demonstrated its potential to become a clear leader in reinforced plastic production technology. In recent years, the LGF pellet production technology has become mature in its basic configuration where endless fiber bundles are used (rovings), which are first impregnated or coated with polymers and in a final step cut to pellets with a length of 10–15 mm. With the reinforcement fibers aligned in parallel in the pellets and only the pellet length itself being the limit for the fiber length, these materials can reach outstanding performance. In addition to its excellent fiber impregnation, Borealis’ proprietary production technology allows for flexibility in the use of different polymer matrices. New research and development activities target further detailed improvement to achieve even more flexibility in the use of different reinforcements and polymer combinations. These efforts can lead to superior material properties including improved balance of stiffness and strength, as well as energy absorption solutions that, together with better and more consistent product quality, will optimize the conversion process for our customers. Furthermore the increased flexibility of Borealis’ production process will allow Fibremod PP-LGF grades to replace further high performance competitor materials such as engineering plastics and metals. The leading mechanical performance can be combined with lightweight, easy and extremely flexible part design, tailor-made coloration and additivation that in combination with other materials allows for very interesting solutions to be developed in the final parts. On top of proprietary production technology for Borealis Fibremod products, our customers benefit from sophisticated application testing methods and standards, as well as in-house modeling and simulation capabilities. This allows Borealis to offer comprehensive support in the development and implementation of high performance applications.
Borealis composite applications: excellent mechanical properties and lighter weight In the pursuit of weight reduction to meet increasingly stringent CO2 emission regulations around the world, the automotive industry is constantly seeking new innovations that enable lightweight part production. Plastics, more specifically polypropylene, have been the product of choice for a variety of applications in all types of vehicles. However, as fiber reinforced PP makes its way into more and more parts, from structural carriers to beams, naturally, some technical challenges occur. An example could be highly stress loaded areas on seat carriers with consequences related to safety or high engine heat exposed areas of front ends.
Reinforced Plastics Volume 00, Number 00 June 2016
To mitigate these possible material limitations, new technologies are being developed and put in place. Taking the inspiration from the airline industry where thermosetting composites are commonly used, Tier 1 automotive suppliers together with material producers like Borealis have been busy developing a new generation of lightweight hybrid solutions made out of polypropylene. These polypropylene composites are based on pre-cut PP matrix woven fabric based sheets or structured tapes over-molded with high performance fiber reinforced compounds. These sheets or tapes are laid inside the mold cavity to exactly compensate for the potential material weakness in the areas where they are needed, helping to achieve highest possible component light weighting. Having the composite sheet or tape, as well as the over-molding performance, materials based on polypropylene bring a number of essential benefits including very good processability and excellent compatibility of the two materials in the final application, delivering outstanding mechanical performance. Furthermore, such an approach increases the ease of recycling of such single material solutions. Borealis has been working closely with key value chain partners to develop materials for specific composite applications. The most promising area of development is seen to be in structural carriers, where the substitution of PP for conventional materials like steel and more expensive engineering plastics is being accelerated. In addition to collaboration with composite sheet and tape producers, to whom Borealis supplies its innovative PP resins, Borealis is in the advanced development stage in pilot projects with several Tier 1 suppliers. Working closely with Brose, the Coburg, and Germany-based firm known for its innovative mechatronics systems for doors and seats as well as electric motors, Borealis has supported the engineering of a PP composite and PP short glass fiber based seat carrier solution replacing steel. Another PP composite sheet based solution is under development, this time in combination with PP-LGF, for light weighting of door carriers. Furthermore, the collaboration with Takata, one of the world’s leading suppliers of airbags, has led to the development of a nextgeneration airbag housing made of PP-LGF and composite sheet. Polypropylene composites are a rather new technology for the automotive industry with which new challenges will certainly come. The ways in which parts are designed have to be adjusted to take full advantage of the material itself. It is also important to work together with customers and value chain partners on how to best specify and evaluate the mechanical performance of concrete final applications. Also, while based on known production technologies, composite application production processes require some additional steps, such as the cutting and pre-heating of sheets that need to be implemented.
Fibremod carbon: high performance reinforced polypropylene compounds
Figure 2. Borealis proprietary LGF production technology. ß Borealis.
In addition to developments in long-glass fiber and composite technology, Borealis continues to push the boundaries with new materials. Borealis has recently introduced three Fibremod carbon compounds that combine light weight, stiffness, strength and competitiveness in one new innovative material. The aircraft industry has been the pioneer in lightweight construction with Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics (CFRP) widely in
2 Please cite this article in press as: N. Kolesch, Reinf. Plast. (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.repl.2016.05.002
REPL-742; No of Pages 4
use to reduce fuel consumption and overall operating costs. CFRP have also been used in high-end sports cars and motorsport vehicles. With ever increasing demands for improved fuel economy, these materials are also finding their way into everyday consumer cars. European Union regulations to reduce CO2 emissions for new cars to 95 g/km on average by 2020 and the US CAFE standard, which aims to increase the mileage of new car models from 39 mpg to 60 mpg in 2025, have created a new sense of urgency for lightweight construction. OEMs and Tiers continue to allocate a high proportion of their R&D budgets to develop new ideas for lightweight construction in high volume car production. Borealis took up this challenge and underpins its position to be the supplier of choice for the automotive industry by offering a differentiated solution. The use of carbon fiber leads to a significant increase in stiffness compared to traditional glass fiber construction and the Fibremod carbon compounds provide stiffness not seen before in polypropylene reaching up to 20,000 MPa combined with an extraordinary low density. Specific stiffness is a way of comparing different densities and stiffness to determine the most effective material and is the established method to evaluate benefits to optimize lightweight construction. In this comparison, the Fibremod carbon materials outperform even lightweight metals like aluminum or magnesium leading to a light weighting potential of more than 60% compared to steel. In practice, this means that components can be developed with similar or even higher stiffness and lower weight. For structural parts the geometry can be adapted to fully benefit from the gain in stiffness, thereby opening further weight saving potential.
Fibremod Carbon makes light weight construction with carbon fiber affordable The Borealis Fibremod carbon portfolio is a highly cost-effective alternative to other engineering polymers, high performance polymers or even lightweight metals. The same weight reduction can be achieved with Fibremod carbon compared to leading materials such as magnesium or carbon fiber reinforced polyamide with the additional benefits of no contact corrosion, no moisture absorption and suitability for economic injection molding processes, while incurring only half of the costs compared to traditional materials. Compared to aluminum the cost benefit is still significant, while a comparison to PA6-GF30 shows neutral cost advantage, but weight reduction potential is more than 30 percent.
Figure 3. Specific bending stiffness of Fibremod with glass fiber (GF) and carbon fiber (CF) compared to conventional lightweight metals and polyamide (PA) solutions. ß Borealis.
FEATURE
Figure 4. Relative material cost increase per kg of weight savings, comparing Fibremod with conventional materials such as metals, polyamide (PA). ß Borealis.
Borealis Fibremod technology reduces development time and costs Because carbon fiber reinforced PP grades are by nature complex, they require extensive engineering. For this reason, Borealis has developed computer-aided methods to predict fiber orientation and distribution, thus allowing for an integrative simulation of the final application performance. Borealis has also established stateof-the-art testing methods and standards for fiber reinforced PP and is fully committed to further enhancing its modeling and simulation methodologies. This means Borealis can provide comprehensive support to its customers in developing and implementing new lightweight solutions based on Fibremod carbon materials where expensive prototyping and physical testing of the final application can be reduced to a minimum. The Fibremod carbon grades are especially suited for applications such as chain adjusters, pump housings, headlamp housings, oil pans, seat frames, arm rests, gear shifting gates and sunroof frames. Structural parts in interiors and under the bonnet applications and motorcycle parts are also being explored. With the launch of carbon fiber PP grades and material solutions for composite based applications Borealis is leveraging its proprietary technologies and processes to offer a complete PP product package for advanced light weighting of automotive parts. ‘‘Our goal is to provide our customers with step-change
Figure 5. KTM motorcycle rear frame Photo: ß Borealis. 3
Please cite this article in press as: N. Kolesch, Reinf. Plast. (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.repl.2016.05.002
FEATURE
Reinforced Plastics Volume 00, Number 00 June 2016
REPL-742; No of Pages 4 FEATURE
FEATURE Figure 6. Borealis FibremodTM Technology portfolio. ß Borealis.
Reinforced Plastics Volume 00, Number 00 June 2016
materials that enable light-weighting and design flexibility. The Fibremod family of SGF, LGF and carbon fiber grades, together with developments in composite application technology, gives automotive designers and engineers a toolbox to help create parts for the next generation of lightweight automobiles,’’ says Nicholas Kolesch, Head of Marketing, Borealis Automotive. ‘‘Building on our proven track record of Value Creation through Innovation, we are able to offer a new generation of high performance lightweight materials to complement our comprehensive product portfolio,’’ he comments. ‘‘When combined with our experience on hundreds of engineering projects in the last decade, Borealis is helping the automotive industry to further reduce weight, development cycle time and costs.’’ Borealis; www.borealisgroup.com/www.borealisdrivingtomorrow.com Borouge; www.borouge.com For more information, contact [email protected].
4 Please cite this article in press as: N. Kolesch, Reinf. Plast. (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.repl.2016.05.002