Auto Plastics & Alternative Materials

[dprox]

Next to space exploration, the auto industry has always been a playground for new technologies (polymers, reinforced plastics, ceramics, etc). If you have info, news or recommendations on alternative automotive materials, please post it here.

Spinning off from the PhUV prototype thread discussions on sheetmetal vs reinforced plastic (http://tsikot.yehey.com/forums/showp...postcount=507), here's a pitch for autobody plastics, just so we don't shut the door to future technologies.

PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) seems to be a good contender for future car bodies. In the textile industry, it's called polyester. In the beverage industry, it's your ubiquitous plastic water bottle.

The US Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) has material on "Recycled PET Compounds for Automotive Applications" - http://stinet.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb...fier=ADD443519

Here are links to Chrysler's own research into plastic car bodies. They call them "CCV" or Composite Concept Vehicles, using PET. The project was really for developing countries, but for reasons of "logistics" and corporate politics (the Chrysler-DaimlerBenz merger), the CCV program was terminated in 1998. Hmmm. Plastic na, naging bakal pa ulit!
Siguro bad siya para sa steel industry, kaya nilagot siya.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_CCV
http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z...V/default.aspx
http://www.azom.com/details.asp?ArticleID=1347