Chemical Trendsetters in Automotive Construction

－ First Degussa Automotive Day in China: Functional Polymers Lead the Way

Lightweight construction, reduction of fuel consumption, surface technology and lighting technology are the current development areas for the automotive industry at Degussa AG, Düsseldorf, the world leader in specialty chemicals. On the occasion of the first Degussa Automotive Day in Shanghai, China, Degussa is publishing a brochure on these activities in the automotive sector. Klaus Hedrich, head of Degussa's Automotive Industry Team: “Today, the available base materials, and therefore the raw materials that Degussa supplies, influence to a large extent the critical features of future vehicles and their parts.” So the chemistry often sets the trend, as has been proven by the success of functional polymers and nanotechnology.

Many exterior and interior automotive components, visible or hidden in a car, owe their functionality to Degussa's expertise. Degussa is there contributing its experience of many years of activity in the automotive and aerospace applications.

Lightweight construction

The weight of a car can be significantly reduced by using adhesives instead of welding: as a rule of thumb, by the use of only one kilogram of specialty adhesive, 25 kg of welded construction can be avoided. Degussa provides for example silanes as essential components for these adhesives.

Reduction of fuel consumption

New organosilanes from Degussa allow to bond polymer molecules with filler particles in a much more efficient way. In a truck tire, for example, this could lead to a 20 per cent reduction in rolling resistance and therefore fuel consumption and increasing the intervals between refueling. As another example, multi-layer fuel lines made from high performance polyamides from Degussa reduce fuel-emissions and guarantee compliance with environmental regulations.

Surface technology

Environmental friendly methacrylates from Degussa give automotive lacquers a brilliant gloss and increase resistance against scratches, weather, as well as fuel and solvent residues. Silanes, used in windscreen coatings, ensure that rain simply rolls right off and ice and dirt can be easily removed. 

Lighting technology 

Back-lit dispersion foils made from Plexiglas not only enable new and spectacular designs but also spread light evenly with excellent transmission. The starting materials for these are polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) from Degussa.

"Automotive"  is currently Degussa's third largest end customer market, and continues to grow. Degussa's automotive specialists generate about €1.1 billion of the company's current (2005) total worldwide sales of €11.8 billion.

Coatings & Bonding, Designing with Polymers, Biotechnology, Inorganic Particle Design as well as Interfacial Technology are the areas of expertise that form the pillars of Degussa's solutions to the automotive design. Degussa's Automotive Industry Team (AIT), headed by Klaus Hedrich, researches and analyses current development trends, the requirements of the automotive industry worldwide, and initiates the important dialogue on future technologies.

These activities are supported by collaboration with local academic institutions, such as that initiated two years ago in northern China in a joint venture with Jilin University, Degussa develops high-performance polymers for automotive construction, aviation and electronics.

 ###  

Degussa is the global market leader in specialty chemicals. Our business is creating essentials: Innovative products and system solutions that make indispensable contributions to our customers’ success. In fiscal 2005 around 44.000 employees worldwide generated sales of 11.8 billion euros and operating profits (EBIT) of 940 million euros.