Clariant highlights green solutions for Chinese automotive industry
Switzerland specialty chemicals company Clariant presented several "green" solutions for the automotive industry at its regional headquarters in China on August 9.
The company highlighted products in the three areas of energy savings, emissions reduction and safety improvements, three current priorities for automotive and transportation in China.
Energy saving
To achieve vehicle weight reduction, Clariant has developed an innovative solution for the production of foamed thermoplastics, with the foaming agent Hydrocerol. It creates a finer, more durable foam-cell structure that allows manufacturers to achieve surface quality and mass reduction between 5-20%.
As a chemical propellant, Hydrocerol results in significant improvement on product appearance both internally and externally, as compared with other thermoplastics foamed with physical propellants, according to the company.
Hydrocerol also simplifies process control, as lower pressure and consequently smaller clamping forces, as well as smaller machines, are necessary. Such features mean less energy is required to melt the material, thus saving through both reduced energy and a shortened cycle time.
Clariant also aids in energy saving during the manufacturing process. Its Masterbatches solutions for fibers used in vehicles leverage spin dyeing by adding the colorants directly as a Masterbatch during the melt spinning process.
Besides outstanding aberration resistance, light-fastness and high color consistency, it reduces energy consumption tremendously. For instance, when dyeing 1kg of fibers, a reduction of almost 98% of energy and 99.9% of water is achieved with the same amount of additives used in traditional bath dyeing processes.
Emission reduction
Among the origins of pollutants from vehicles, diesel engines produce a significant share of transport-related emissions. To achieve a dramatic reduction in vehicle emissions, Clariant's zeolites are specially optimized for exhaust catalytic converters in vehicles. They can be used both as an ideal carrier material for the catalytically active substances, as well as a full extrudate.
Besides controlling the emissions from automotives themselves, Clariant's LE Technologies also contribute to emission reduction during their manufacturing. The low emission products GEKO LE and ECOSIL LE lower emissions of health hazards like xylenes, toluene and ethyl benzene during the green sand molding process employed in the manufacturing of vehicle components such as engine blocks, transmission housings, drive shafts, brake disks and wheel bearings.
Safety
Clariant contributes to transportation safety through the provision of fire protection materials used in vehicles, trains and other forms of transportation. Products such as the Exolit OP range offers highly effective fire protection and satisfy some of the strictest requirements, explained the company.
The Exolit OP product line is based on organic phosphinates which have superior environmental and health profile. Plastics containing Exolit OP can be recycled easily. In case of fire, considerably less smoke arises with Exolit OP than with many other flame retardants, with fewer adverse effects.
"With our exciting line-up of products and solutions dedicated to improving the sustainability and safety aspects of the growing automotive and transport industry in China, Clariant is ready to work with our customers and partners as we continue to strive for a greener future in this growing sector in China," said Jan Kreibaum, President of Clariant Greater China and South Korea.
