New Ductile, Heat Resistant ABS Resin for Energy Management Applications

Automotive manufacturers must satisfy a myriad of criteria when selecting a polymer for interior trim applications. Additional challenges have been presented with the future phase-in requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 201U. This federal mandate requires vehicles to provide protection when an occupant's head strikes upper interior components such as thermoplastic pillars during an automobile crash. One limitation of FMVSS 201U is that it only prescribes performance requirements for simulated impact tests conducted at ambient test conditions. Many automobile crashes, however, occur at a multitude of vehicle temperatures. Moreover, thermoplastics are known to undergo a ductile to brittle transition whereby test specimens exhibit brittle failure upon impact at cold temperature. Therefore, reasonable engineering concern must be exercised to design robust systems that provide occupant protection across a wide range of test temperatures. The results of an extensive product development study has resulted in an advanced, low gloss, heat resistant ABS resin with exceptional low temperature ductility performance in one-piece, ribbed, thermoplastic pillars.