Composite PP/PE filament for automotive lightweighting

01-Feb-17

A composite filament consisting of a polypropylene (PP) core and low melting point linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) outer layer is employed in a new thermoformable textile called Simtex by Ube Exsymo (Tokyo), as per www.plastics today.com. Fabric woven from the filament can be thermoformed usually in multiple plies, to form rigid components such as automobile ceiling liners and travel bags. During the thermoforming process, the LLDPE resin alone melts to form a matrix that encapsulates the PP fibers.

The fiber is supplied in 1000–3000 decitex (dtex; mass in grams per 10,000 meters) rolls. Strength of 10 cN/dtrexis double that of conventional PP fiber while tensile strength (Young’s modulus) of around 95 cN/dtex is triple that of PP fiber. A test component thermoformed from four plies of 250 g/m ² of Simtex fabric at 140°C and 1 MPa pressure yielded a 1.3-mm-thick part with density of 0.9 whose tensile strength was 150 MPa, tensile modulus 2400 MPa, flexural strength 45 MPa, and flexural modulus 1900 MPa.