Program Design for Qualification of Recycled SMC in Automotive Applications

One U.S. automotive OEM has approved use of a composite filler produced from recycled SMC parts for the current 1993 model year molded SMC production components. Two other U.S. OEMs have approval programs under way for use of composite filler in production parts. The reground and milled SMC (composite filler) is produced using techniques developed over the past two years by several molders and supplier member companies of the SMC Automotive Alliance (SMCAA).

A program was developed in cooperation with automotive OEMs for evaluation and approval of the SMC composite filler for replacement of up to 20% by volume of the CaCO3 (calcium carbonate) filler (10% of total formula weight) in virgin SMC for molding of automotive production parts. Factors limiting user-levels include paste viscosity which, if too high, prevents adequate wet out of chopped glass reinforcement and void-free processing.

Data measuring performance of SMC composite filler in several different SMC systems for automotive production parts indicate essentially no loss of key mechanical properties at the 20% level.