Impact absorber with BASF PA particle foam wins SPE award
An impact absorber made of BASF polyamide particle foam Ultramid Expand for the Mercedes-Benz VISION EQXX technology program won the 2nd place in the “Enabler Technology” category at the SPE Automotive Awards 2024.
Impact absorber made of BASF polyamide particle foam.
Ultramid Expand: Easy to process and recyclable
Ultramid Expand is based on a combination of several polyamide (PA) 6 types. The particle foam consists of pre-expanded particles with a defined particle size and density, which can be welded into a 3D component in a molding machine without producing foam waste. It can be easily processed on existing steam chest molding machines.
The polyamide particle foam can also overmold with materials of the same material. René Holschuh, Segment Manager Transportation at BASF Performance Materials Europe, explained that the material enables new hybrid components that can be recycled as single-material thermoplastic systems at the end of their life cycles, which help to close the materials cycle.
Ultramid Expand for automotive applications
Impact absorber, often in metal structures, is purposed to absorb and distribute the forces arising in a crash and transfer them to the vehicle body.
By using Ultramid Expand, impact absorber features reduced weight and improved energy absorption in the event of an impact. Production process is also more cost-effective, compared to that for metal structures.
In addition, the polyamide particle foam withstands the body-in-white painting process, which can be used as a reinforcing insert in later closed structures of the car body and can be installed in the body-in-white due to its high temperature resistance.
These make the material ideal for demanding requirements of the automotive industry for the interior and for long-term use.
