Iveco to use LyondellBasell's Softell PP compound for door panels

02-Aug-08

Italian commercial utility vehicle maker, Iveco is using LyondellBasell's Softell Polypropylene (PP) compound in the door panels of its new truck model named Eurocargo. Besides the aesthetics, softness and color consistency, the Softell PP compound also offers useful benefits like design potential, exceptional processability, safety and acoustics properties serving as a good match for use in auto interiors. The door panels made of Softell PP compounds help create a comfortable atmosphere with its warm and soft qualities. The compounds also provide a visual appeal due to its color consistency and outstanding finish quality. Unlike ABS, Softell PP compounds are used to make the injection molded parts of automobiles using only one material (monomaterial concept) without coating material waste though retaining high property profile and serviceability. Due to morphological structure of Softell PP compounds, finished parts produced do not form sharp edges and splinters in crash tests, even at low temperatures thereby providing safety benefits. Softell compounds also surpass conventional PP compounds in terms of scratch resistance and low levels of gloss. With Softell compounds, light weight, cost effective door panels and many other interior components can be produced without compromising part performance. In addition, the door panels in Iveco's Eurocargo produced using Softell compounds also provide very good acoustic characteristics like better sound and vibration absorption properties compared to ABS and ABS/PC blends.