JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #34 - July/August 2007 - 30

FEATURE “Automotive” Nanocomposites in automotive: research activities and business realities Nanocomposites parts are finding applications in the automotive industry. General Motors was the first car manufacturer to produce commercial car parts filled with nanoclays in 2002, and since then, the business has been expanding with increased interest from other car manufacturers. BARBARA PIETERS, PROJECT MANAGER, NANOTECHNOLOGIES, YOLE DÉVELOPPEMENT - car coatings exhibiting greater scratch resistance and improved gloss, - anti-fog coatings for headlight and windshield that are highly hydrophilic, forming water films instead of droplets, - structural plastic parts combining higher mechanical performance with reduced weight. This article will focus specifically on this last application. ogether, the nanotechnologies constitute a multidisciplinary field that has elicited great interest in the past decade. The definition of nanotechnologies refers to critical dimensions, usually in the range of hundreds of nanometres, where novel properties are observed. The fields of applications are so numerous that several governments have elected nanotechnologies as a top-priority research field. Thus, the annual world funding for nanotechnologies is very high, reaching $4.6B for government funding in 2005. This almost equalled private funding (venture capital funds and corporate funding), which reached $4.5B. T Introduction to nanocomposites A nanocomposite is defined as a solid matrix (usually polymers) that contains a nanoscale filler, called a nano-object (for example nanoparticles, nanotubes, nanofibres, etc.). The main characteristics of nano-objects are 1) increased surface area (contact between the particle and its environment): this gives increased interaction between the particle and the surrounding matrix, resulting in improved mechanical, chemical, and thermal properties (1 g of particles of 25 nm has a surface area of 20 m2); and 2) transparency: when the particle diameter is lower than 30 nm, the reflection of visible light is negligible. These characteristics are the drivers for the development of nano-objects. Thus, there is a wide range of nano-objects available on the market or under development today. Although nanotechnology is considered as a recent science, some of these nano-objects have been sold for decades, even in millions of tons per year. Examples of these are primarily nanoparticles: carbon black, precipitate and fumed silica, etc. Relatively new nano-objects have already found commercial applications, showing real added value when compared to older particles. These nano-objects are (see Figure 1): - nanoparticles like nanoclays, colloidal silica, and other inorganic nanoparticles (alumina, ceria, zinc oxide, etc.). Some of these products have been commercialised for more than 10 years; - carbon nanotubes, which are more recent products (discovered in 1991) with a significant commercial potential due to the very specific properties they confer, such as very high mechanical “Nanomaterials” is a field within nanotechnologies that has been extensively studied and has led to new materials development, production and commercialisation. Two approaches are being used to achieve the nanoscale: The TopDown approach consists in starting from “big” to make “small”, such as in the semiconductor industry, whereas the Bottom-Up approach consists in assembling atoms or molecules to build objects, such as in the chemical industry. Applications of nanomaterials are numerous and relate, for example, to energy, cosmetics, coatings, construction and packaging. The automotive industry is one of many fields of applications that have seen the growing impact of nanomaterials. Nanomaterial products are finding uses in the automotive industry for a variety of functions. Examples are: - fuel-borne catalysts for soot prevention in particulate filters, - tyres reinforced with nanoparticles for better abrasion resistance and improved gas permeability, JEC Composites Magazine / No34 July-August 2007

JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #34 - July/August 2007

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #34 - July/August 2007