Reaction injection Molding (R.I.M.) systems to meet the thermal resistance, physical property, and performance requirements for automotive exterior vertical body panels are under development by The Dow Chemical Company. Polymer systems designed to meet the thermal resistance requirements for a variety of paint/assembly processes from off-line painting at 250°F to full on-line painting, including E-Coat process, have been developed and are being optimized for production application.
Polyurea technology and internal mold release advances have been combined to produce polymer systems such as SPECTRIM* 80S polymer (for off-line paint/assembly process), Polyurea HF (for on-line painting to 325°F) and Polyurea HF (for on-line painting through E-coat at 400°F).
This paper summarizes the processing and physical property characteristics of these polymer systems with emphasis on thermal stability requirements for different assembly techniques. Cost versus performance requirements to aid the automotive engineer in new vehicle design will also be discussed.