K Fair ’16: Automobiles steal the show
William Lemos
21-Oct-2016
DUSSELDORF (ICIS)–The automotive sector was in the
spotlight at K Fair in Dusseldorf on Friday, with several
chemical producers displaying prototypes and actual vehicles
featuring plastic as a key raw material.
Chemical makers expect the automotive sector to become an
even larger market for its products in the years ahead as
automakers strive to make lighter vehicles to meet stricter
emissions standards.
This trend will not stop and the technology to increase the
amount of plastics in automobiles is already in place, said
Maurizio Butti, chief executive of Songwon, a South Korean
specialty chemicals maker.
Songwon showcased its products at K Fair, including some
thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) resins which it said was
designed to improve performance in a range of products from
cables and wires to automotive components.
Automobiles will be made mostly from plastic in the future,
Butti said, adding that perhaps only components like the
engine and transmission would continue to use metal.
The executive expects the polymers stabilisers the South
Korean company manufactures to play a key role in increasing
the amount of plastic that is used to make cars.
Automobiles, including a lorry, were displayed prominently in the stands of several chemical companies at K Fair, including LG Chem, Covestro and SABIC.
SABIC had a large Scania lorry fitted with parts made
with its Xenoy CL100S resin parked at the front of
its stand.
The resin, which was developed to obtain good low temperature
impact strength, is particularly suited for unpainted
exterior automotive body components, according to the
company.
K Fair, the world’s largest plastic show, is held every three
years in Dusseldorf. The event opened on Wednesday and runs
through 26 October.
The automotive industry is a
major global consumer of petrochemicals which contributes
more than a third of the raw material costs of an average
vehicle. ICIS tracks the movement of petrochemical raw
material costs in auto production both globally and
regionally with the weighted ICIS Basket of Automotive
Petrochemicals (IBAP).
ICIS produces a monthly Global Automotive report
covering the major automotive chemicals
markets, the auto-industry, the IBAPs and
macroeconomic trends. For more information on the report and
details on how to subscribe, please click here
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