Improving Vehicle Stiffness and Crashworthiness Utilizing A New Syntactic Polyurethane Foam Technology

Vehicle NVH and crash performance are important attributes related to end use customer comfort and safety. Polyurethane foam systems are currently being used to enhance these performance properties for today's automobiles. Most structural urethane foams used for NVH (stiffness & sealing) and energy management applications utilize low viscosity polyols and polymeric diphenylmethane diisocyanates (PMDI) as starting components. These systems can be difficult for the assembly plants to process due to foam leaking out of the vehicle cavities before it is fully cured. In addition, capital intensive ventilation systems are typically required to safely manage a production line utilizing classical PMDI-based foams.

This paper will describe how a new syntactic polyurethane foam, with a paste-like consistency, can enhance vehicle NVH and crashworthiness, while improving processing and safety-related issues. A review of the paste foam chemistry, processing requirements, and industrial hygiene testing will be presented. In addition, NVH and crashworthiness performance of these foams will be illustrated through case studies incorporating test data and CAE simulation.