March 21, 2007

Lustran® Ultra – an economic alternative to Polycarbonates+ABS blends

The rear trim molding cover in the new Opel Astra TwinTop is made from Lustran® Ultra 4115, a high-performance ABS from LANXESS.

“Our material has been selected as preferred material over a blend of polycarbonate + polybutylene terephthalate mainly due to its very good processing properties,” explains Gerald Pfeifer, Key Account Manager in the Lustran Polymers Business Unit. The high surface quality and excellent paintability are key arguments for the selection of this material which stands out for its high heat resistance of 116 °C (Vicat B 50). These properties are important since direct sunlight is heating up the trim cover. The 75 cm long component is manufactured by Structuplas N.V. headquartered in Izegem, Belgium.

Lustran® Ultra 4115, an amorphous thermoplastic, exhibits minimal distortion and virtually no post-shrinkage. This helps make the resulting molded parts dimensionally stable and ensures easy removal from the mold. “The underside of the cover is completely ribbed. This therefore placed very high demands on the demoldability of our material, which was key to ensuring cost-effective injection molding in short cycle times,” says Pfeifer. The ABS material also delivers extremely accurate reproduction of detail, which reproduces the surface graining of the cover flawlessly. In the event of a crash, the high toughness over a wide temperature range pay dividends, boosting passenger safety.

The trim component is coated. Since the ABS from LANXESS is pre-colored in the customer specified shade, any damage to the surface of the component, such as scratches, is not immediately noticeable.

With Lustran® Ultra, LANXESS offers various special ABS-based thermoplastics featuring better properties than those typical of ABS. They are designed primarily to be a cost-effective alternative to Polycarbonates+ABS blends. Lustran® Ultra 4115 have proven particularly popular for components in automotive interiors that are subject to high temperatures, such as post finishers, upper door trim mouldings, air vents and defroster vent grilles. The product range also includes Lustran® Ultra 4105, which boasts a combination of high impact and heat resistance (105 °C, Vicat B 50), and Lustran® Ultra 4000 PG, a particularly cost-effective electroplatable ABS grade.