Future Requirements for Heat Resistant Elastomers for Underhood Automotive Applications

Underhood temperatures have risen in recent years to the extent that many elastomers traditionally used underhood do not satisfactorily meet performance requirements. Emission controls effective for 1980 model cars will significantly increase underhood temperatures over and above temperatures now experienced as Automotive Manufacturers modify the internal combustion engine and add new catalytic converters to comply with these requirements.

Experimental laboratory data on conventional and heat resistant elastomers and performance test data on cars equipped with mandated emission controls are presented to show temperature trends in future automobiles. The data show that conventional elastomers cannot withstand the increased temperatures projected for future vehicles with internal combustion engines.