2008 Winner

Ryan Baez, who will be starting his senior year at Catholic Memorial High School in Waukesha, Wisconsin, is the winner of the 2008 SPE “Wonders of Plastics” International Essay Contest. He indicated that he has always been fascinated with his father's career in plastics and his stories of fixing up cars, so he decided to combine the two and write about it as part of his Literature 3 class for the Milwaukee Section Essay Contest. As the winner of the Milwaukee competition, his essay was forwarded to SPE headquarters for judging on the international level. The Detroit Section of SPE sponsors this competition. As the international winner, Ryan receives a $1,000 honorarium and a plaque. His school also receives a $1,000 honorarium.


There is a passion between teenagers and cars. When my father turned 16 he purchased a royal blue 1967 Chevelle SS. His prized driving machine was a metal masterpiece with magnum wheels, an altered exhaust system, and dice hanging from the mirror. His weekends were spent under the hood altering his machine or waxing it up. It was man and metal. But those days are gone. While there is still a bond between man and his machine, today’s cars are completely different because of the advancement in plastics.

A walk through a classic auto show illustrates the differences between cars of the past and present. Today, a quick glance at the interior of a car will reveal that most parts are plastic. Since the 1970’s polymer engineers have been developing molecular level materials to address changing needs in the automotive industry. Trends driving the use of plastics in the automotive industry include cost and weight reduction, production efficiency, environmental concerns, better structural functions, noise reduction and aesthetics. Ecology Center reports that the amount of plastics increased from 0.6 percent in 1960 to 7.5 percent in 2003. This equals 4.3 billion pounds of plastics in the United States.

Starting on the inside, the instrument panel is made of mostly acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and polypropylene. The steering wheel is vinyl or urethane and the door panels are ABS or polypropylene/fiber glass (GMT) (Vasilash 2003). Inside the hood you will find the manifold, air cleaner, bearing housings, rocker arms, fuel lines, bearings, and water pumps are nylon and polypropylene. The transmission seals are flouropolymers, the oil pan is polyetherimide, and the fuel tank is polyethylene (HDPE). Today’s plastics can stand up to frigid temperatures, chemicals, petroleum, and heat. In fact, some nylon engine parts are tough enough to be situated near the engine, which produces temperatures of 300 degrees F and up (Chittenden 2007).

An added benefit of plastic is that it can be easily molded into streamline, aerodynamic shapes to reduce drag resulting in better fuel efficiency and emissions (Cars of the Future 2006). Over the years, advancements in olefin-based nanocomposites made plastics suitable for body parts by reducing weight and improving stiffness. New in-mold coatings were then developed to offer gloss and scratch resistance to door panels. The famous Smart cars, sold in Europe, have used thermoplastic exterior panels for years. By 2003, if you wanted a change of appearance for your car you could trade in your exterior panels for a different color. The task takes 90 minutes and cost $925 to $1500 (Vasilash 2003).

Safety and vehicle weight and emissions are hot topics in the car market and several new technologies are being developed. Europe required that emissions, per car, must be reduced 40 grams by 2012. The new limit for European cars will be 120 g. Europe sees the increased use of plastics as a likely solution. Likewise, California will be requiring a 25% reduction in emissions by 2012. “A 100 kg (222 pounds) reduction in vehicle weight will reduce its carbon emissions by 4.9%” (Defosse).

One new technology is carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites. It will, “weigh about 50% less than steel yet can absorb energy levels on the order of 100 kJ/kg versus steel’s 25 kJ/kg” (Sawyer 2008). The make-up of the material will reduce the size of crash damage and offer energy-absorbing capability. Use of the material on the front of cars could reduce the danger of side impact accidents and reduce fuel consumption. Another technology uses self-reinforcing polypropylene (SrPP), which is created by “heating and weaving polypropylene fibers to stretch and align their molecular chains” (Sawyer 2008). This results in improved flexibility offering better protection to pedestrians in an accident. The SrPP is 57% lighter than current panels, has passed all mechanical and paint tests, and is recyclable (Sawyer 2008).

There are also changes being made for design purposes. There is the desire to add more glass-areas on the top of cars without increasing the weight. The answer is a “molded polycarbonate panel with an abrasion-resistant coating” (Sawyer 2008). This material weighs 50% less than laminated safety glass. The automaker of Lincoln’s has worked to reduce the weight of their new Lincoln MKT. The roof and windshield are made of polycarbonate. This reduced the weight of the car by 28.4 pounds and increased aerodynamics. In the end, the car had a total weight reduction of 104 pounds. If you had a weight savings of 104 pounds on 125,000 cars it would save 15 million gallons of gas. It would also lower the cost of gasoline to buyers by $44 million. CO2 emissions would be reduced 128,000 metric tons, or the same amount absorbed by 35,000 acres of forests (SABIC Innovative Plastics).

The 2008 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), to be held in Detroit, Michigan, will focus on environmental themes. For example, the Lincoln MKT has door panels, energy absorbers, wire bundles, and glazing made from recycled materials. These “upcycled” materials, Valox iQ and Xenoy iQ, are produced using discarded PET bottles and polyester waste. It takes more than 2000 bottles to produce the MKT. This equals the number of waters a person would drink if they had one water per day for 5 ½ years.

There are other environmental developments also underway. Researchers have found a way to recycle plastic from “dead” cars. Junkyards are now being considered sources of raw materials for plastics. When cars are recycled for steel the plastic parts go into a shredder along with metal slivers and textile material. The granular material has too many types of plastic to make it useable (Science Daily 2007). It is now possible to separate polyolefin plastics to be recycled into new car parts. Researchers use a solvent to dissolve certain polymers leaving the others behind for reuse. “Using this technology, the overall recycling rate for end-of-life cars—metals, plastics and textiles—can be increased to over 90 percent” (Van Engelen 2007).

Clearly cars are changing from the Chevelle days, but they are kinder to the environment and future generations.

Works Cited
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