Starting gun for the electromobility of the future

Düsseldorf / Germany, June 16, 2010 - Alternative drive concepts hold the key to the future, and not only for automakers. Ticona, the engineering polymers business of the Celanese Corporation, offers products with an outstanding property profile - especially for electromobility applications. In some cases their use in electric vehicles has already been successfully tested in practice.

Electric motors have one major disadvantage: the amount of energy in conventional batteries generally suffices only for short distances - and recharging takes hours. One of the reasons for that short range is the weight of the vehicle, as this is a determining factor in the power consumption.

Wanted: High performance

That's why long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastics such as Celstran^® LFT and Factor^® LFT are typical materials for modern vehicle construction. Their matrix materials - usually polypropylene or polyamide - save weight while the "fiber skeleton" ensures stability in molded parts subjected to high stress. In addition, both materials provide high temperature resistance. That makes them ideal for battery brackets or the battery housing in an electric vehicle, as well as for floor panels and instrument panels. Celanex^® PBT can be used right in the connectors for electrical lines, thanks to good sliding properties, high service temperature, and resistance to chemicals and weathering. No stranger to automotive applications, Fortron^® PPS is a tried-and-tested material that is also suitable for use in electric cars: it is used in coolant pumps and ventilators and in coil supports for wheel hub motors. Actuators would be a suitable application for Vectra^® LCP liquid crystal polymer - along with connectors, functional components for high-voltage applications and lighting components. With its numerous specializations such as improved sliding properties or UV-resistance, Hostaform^® POM has an ideal profile for the mechanical components used in electric vehicles. The low-emission XAP^® grades of this POM material are suitable for car interior applications. GUR^® UHMW-PE scores points with its low weight, and gel processes can be used to incorporate it into battery separators for the electric motor, for example.

Your contact:

Henning Küll           
Telefon:           +49 (0) 6107 772 17 97
Fax:                +49 (0) 6107 772 72 31
E-Mail:             kuell@ticona.de