Self reinforced plastics (SRPs) combine the versatility and easy recyclability of a thermoplastic with the high performance of a fibre-reinforced composite. SRPs are in the nascent stage of development. With their growing use in automobile sector, SRPs could see a good boost in demand. The automotive industry is a huge and growing market for plastic and composite materials, and gives SRP suppliers the best opportunity to gain critical volumes of business at an early stage.
Their low weight, high stiffness and impact resistance are proving suitable for a wide range of semi-structural and structural automotive applications. SRPs are being actively sought after for making lighter and smaller cars that save on fuel. The weight of mid-size cars is likely to fall from 1,400 kg to 1,150 kg by 2010, providing further impetus to the SRP market. In order to meet the new design requirements, automobile manufacturers are in search for low density plastics with good mechanical properties. Automobile manufacturers are now evaluating SRP products, particularly PP for non-structural components in upcoming car models.
With the automobile sector looking at them as a possible alternative to save weight to achieve fuel economy, stimulus to their growth could be provided. However, gaining a stronghold in cost demanding sectors will not be easy, especially in high volume automotive markets, where standards are extremely stringent and price pressure high.
The automotive market also exposes SRP products to intense competition particularly from glass mat thermoplastics (GMT) and long glass-fibre reinforced thermoplastics (LFT) across a range of thermoformed automotive applications. While SRPs are a clear favourite over GMT and LFT in terms of mechanical properties, high prices of SRPs are a significant limitation to immediate commercial usage. SRP suppliers need to reduce their cost structure to levels that permit more competitive pricing. A price range of EUR 4-EUR 6 per kg is considered more realistic by end users.
SRP manufacturers need to make a strong impact as early as possible in key segments of the automotive market where the potential volume of business is likely to be highest. For optimum revenue generation, SRP suppliers should target semi-structural and structural parts in the low to medium volume car segment. These include crossbeams where the SRP products adequately meet head impact requirements or A-pillars that perform well with an SRP shell. Roof liners made from SRP products with a fabric covering and a number of under-body parts are other potentially lucrative application areas.
For SRP manufacturers who consider automotive applications a very demanding sector to penetrate, in terms of stringent cost considerations as well as application development, it may be advisable to identify more profitable niche markets where SRP product benefits hold more value, and therefore automatically command a premium price. Understanding that there is a market for SRP products beyond automotive applications is vital.
In the future, SRP manufacturers can look towards orthopaedic braces and ballistics protection equipment. These have the potential to offer tremendous scope for growth. There is also significant potential to use SRPs in other application areas, especially where a combination of weight saving and toughness is an important requirement - such as sports and personal protective equipment, machine casings and housings, transport containers and industrial cladding.
