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Category: Automotive
Photo credit: Hunstman, Inc.
Resin Technology Reduces Car Weight and Cost
In the world of exotic sports cars, the quest to make vehicles weigh less and perform better is never-ending. A new polyurethane resin technology is providing a novel way to construct these vehicles’ chassis that is also providing cost-savings and marked improvements in sustainability.
Using thin layers of both recycled and new carbon fiber, composite skins — formed out of polyurethane resin — are molded onto a central core, where they bond with the core’s recycled polycarbonate structure.
The result is a chassis that meets or exceeds compression, stiffness and torsional rigidity requirements while reducing the car’s weight 15 to 20 percent versus aluminum. Even better, it costs far less than a car made exclusively with new . Assembly time is reduced, as well as tooling costs, and the whole process generates less scrap material.
The resulting vehicle weighs in at just 1,433 pounds. Its ultra-light materials and unique construction allow it to accelerate from 0 to 60 MPH is just 4.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 135 MPH.
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