Use of CAE Methods for Optimization of Polypropylene Structural Components in Automotive Applications

Since their introduction in automobiles, polymeric materials have enabled designers and engineers to differentiate products based on performance attributes, mechanical response, aesthetics, and manufacturing techniques. A large segment of these applications utilizes polypropylene (PP) resins. One of the attractive features of PP polymers is the ability to tailor their mechanical, thermal and processing performance envelope via modification of their composition and the addition of fillers. Key to the successful application of PP resins in structural systems is the ability of designers and engineers to understand the material response and to properly model the behavior of PP structures upon different mechanical and thermal loading conditions. This paper presents guidelines for characterization of the mechanical, thermal and processing responses of PP resins in order to build a knowledge base system which enables the utilization of computer-aided engineering (CAE) methods to model the response of PP structural components.