Plastics in the automotive and transport industries

The use of plastic components in the automotive industry has shown extraordinary growth in recent years. Polymers are currently being used to manufacture more than 1,000 different automotive parts. Using plastics as an alternative to traditional materials such as metal gives the industry major advantages, including energy efficiency, durability, design flexibility, noise reduction and cost savings.

Featured posts on Plastics in the automotive and transport industries

More lightweight composite materials to design railway of the future

The MAT4RAIL project developed new formulations of hybrid resins that will make it possible to replace metal railways parts with lighter composite materials. Smart interior parts were also designed to increase capacity and provide greater passenger comfort.

Biocomposites in the automotive industry: potential applications and benefits

Biocomposite materials can be defined as composite materials in which at least one of the constituents is derived from natural sources. This includes composite materials made from the combination of petroleum-derived polymers reinforced with natural fibre, biopolymers reinforced with natural fibre, or biopolymers reinforced with synthetic fibre (e.g. glass, carbon).

Microwave Curing Composites

Composite components must be cured under very strict processing conditions due to the need of having a reproducible polymerisation of the resin. Currently, polyester, vinylester […]

Types of composite materials

Composite materials are formed by two or more components so that the properties of the final material are better than the properties of the components […]

All post on Plastics in the automotive and transport industries

Decarbonizing the transport: e-fuels from CO2

Decarbonizing the planet is a process revolving around some fields in which certain challenges connected to Sustainable Energy Transition still need solving. Innovation initiatives in […]

A project works on more sustainable, safer, lighter, and longer-lasting batteries to unlock electric mobility in high-performance vehicles

Advances in electric mobility are revolutionizing urban and short-distance transportation. However, there is a clear need to fulfil the high-performance requirements of long-distance electric transportation, […]

Insulating plastics: polyurethanes

Since 1937 Otto Bayer followed the first synthesis of the polyurethane of which this material has become a daily element in our lives. We can […]

Reducing the structural weight of vehicles with light and sustainable materials

AIMPLAS coordinates the FOREST project, a new EU funded research to delve into advanced lightweight bio-based or recycled materials to facilitate the decarbonization of the […]

Weathering testing: plastics and ageing

Weathering testing and ageing testing help us to predict how our plastic products are going to withstand over time.