A Survey of Performance Elastomers-Meeting Automotive Requirements of the '80s

Continuing regulatory and consumer pressures and energy considerations have forced significant changes in the automotive industry. The resulting vehicle design objectives, which include downsizing, the move to front wheel drive, trends in optional equipment and fast-paced competitive design all have affected the amounts and types of elastomers used on today's vehicle. This paper will discuss some of the changes in elastomer usage, review some of the technical reasons for these changes and suggest trends for automotive elastomers in the next several years.