塑膠制造商將執(zhí)掌汽車未來的藍(lán)圖

　　(節(jié)錄自C&EN新聞網(wǎng)，Alexander H. Tullo撰文)

　　隨著企業(yè)著手開發(fā)自駕車，全球的汽車正在逐步電動化。去年全球售出約75萬臺插電式混合動力汽車，占全球汽車市場的1%。美國消費者去年買了16萬臺混合動力車和電動車。如今已有2百萬臺混合動力車和電動車已經(jīng)上路。到了2020年，這筆數(shù)字會攀升到9百萬至2千萬之間，到了2025年會翻到3倍以上。

　　電動車和自駕車需要用到電動電子零件，這些零件的接合件和外殼的所使用的塑膠會需求上升，而用于內(nèi)然引擎零件的塑膠需求會逐漸下降。塑膠制造商在此汽車業(yè)的革新當(dāng)中看到了商機。此變革會重視能承受電動車和自駕車極高溫環(huán)境與導(dǎo)電條件的高端材料。

　　聚合物材料在取代金屬和玻璃等等較重的金屬的同時，也減少的車體的重量，節(jié)省能源。車體的重量每減少10%，燃油的經(jīng)濟性就能提升約5%。隨著時間的演進(jìn)，汽車的塑膠使用量已有增加。1960年，一般的美國車只含有8公斤的塑膠和復(fù)合材料。2016年，一臺典型的汽車含有151公斤的塑膠和復(fù)合物，這佔了車體總重量的8%，以及一臺車的材料使用量的一半。

　　企業(yè)也正在研發(fā)新的材料。DSM公司推出了一種稱為ForTii Ace的PPA特種尼龍，它的玻璃轉(zhuǎn)化溫度為160度，比其他的PPA尼龍多了約40度，也比尼龍66這種用來隔熱的聚合物高出了80度。此特種尼龍不需要添加有機熱穩(wěn)定劑就能抗熱，添加了穩(wěn)定劑反而可能導(dǎo)致電子腐蝕。它的一個關(guān)鍵用途就是用在電路板專用的接合件上，這種電路板搭載了很重要的中央處理器，而且連接整臺車各處的感應(yīng)器。對聚合物制造商來說，有些事他們是很明確知道的一一車油盤和油箱等等部件在未來會隨著時間消逝，但聚合物廠商會在其它的領(lǐng)域中獲利，他們的角色會演變，但仍會像今日一樣是汽車不可或缺的一部分。

　　Plastics Makers Plot the Future of the Car

　　(Adapted from article written by Alexander H. Tullo and published on C&EN)

　　While companies work on autonomous vehicles, the global stock of cars is slowly electrifying. Some 750,000 plug-in hybrid and fully electric vehicles were sold worldwide last year, representing about 1% of the total car market, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). U.S. consumers bought 160,000 hybrid and electric vehicles last year. About 2 million hybrid and electric vehicles are on the road today, IEA reports. By 2020, that number will climb to between 9 million and 20 million, the agency expects, and from there it will more than triple by 2025.

　　Demand will increase for plastics used to make connectors and housings for the many electrical and electronic components required for both electric and autonomous vehicles. The use of plastics for parts unique to internal combustion engines, such as fuel lines and air intake manifolds, will gradually decline. Plastics makers see opportunity in the auto industry’s evolution. The changes will place a premium on high-end materials that can withstand the extreme heat and electrical conditions in electric and autonomous vehicles.

　　Polymers reduce vehicle weight when they replace heavier materials such as metal and glass, saving energy. For every 10% of vehicle weight reduction, fuel economy improves by about 5%. The amount of plastics used in automobiles has increased over time. In 1960, the average car made in North America had only 8 kg of plastic and composite materials. In 2016, the typical car was made with 151 kg of plastics and composites. This represents about 8% of the car’s weight and about 50% of the volume of materials in the car.

　　Companies are also developing new materials. DSM has introduced ForTii Ace, a modified polyphthalamide with a glass transition temperature of 160 °C, about 40 degrees higher than other polyphthalamides and 80 degrees higher than nylon 66, a common polymer used in applications that confront heat. The material can withstand these temperatures without organic heat stabilizers, the addition of which could lead to corrosion of electronics. A typical application might be in connectors for a circuit board that houses important central processing unit chips and is connected to sensors from around the vehicle. Some things polymer makers do know for sure. Applications such as oil pans and fuel tanks will disappear in time. But polymers will pick up gains in other areas. Their role will evolve, but they will be as crucial to cars as they are today.