K 2025 Asahi Kasei presents advanced materials for automotive and electronics

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Sustainability, lightweighting, and design efficiency are in focus as Asahi Kasei brings a portfolio of innovative polymers to K 2025. Highlights include bio-based cellulose nano fiber compounds, PFAS-free polyamides, advanced foams, and optical polymers for next-generation mobility and electronics.

At K, Japanese technology company Asahi Kasei will display PA and Sebs compounds utilizing a bio-based and biodegradable cellulose nano fiber (CNF). This material is made from cotton linter and has high heat resistance and network-forming ability. CNF-reinforced polyamide becomes less viscous when agitated, making it highly suitable for 3D printing applications for easy printing, dimensional accuracy, smooth appearance, and mechanical performance. CNF-reinforced Sebs features a unique softness, which can be adjusted by changing the internal structure of the moulded product. In addition, it shows a very low warpage and shrinkage, and good hydrolysis resistance. These properties make this material suitable for a wide range of applications, for example, jigs & tooling or prosthetics & orthotics devices. In response to the increasing demand for PFAS-free materials, Asahi Kasei is developing a PFAS-free low-friction Leona polyamide and will introduce the new grade for the first time in Europe. Based on internal evaluations, the material has the same low-friction properties as fluororesins, making it suitable for sliding applications in various industries, including automotive, robot parts, OA parts, and sporting goods.

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Materials for lightweighting and streamlined production of automotive parts

There has been a growing emphasis on reduced weight and improved design in automotive manufacturing. Asahi Kasei will display various technologies to address the most pressing concerns of automotive manufacturers at K 2025. One such solution is the transparent polymer, AZP, which features an almost zero birefringence at a lightweight. It overcomes the challenges of conventional transparent polymers in applications with polarizing light, such as Virtual & Augmented Reality devices and automotive head-up displays (HUD), while maintaining superior processability for large-scale production of injection-molded optical components. The company will exhibit an interactive automotive demonstration at K 2025 to showcase how AZP contributes to next-generation HUD.

Conventional approaches to automotive instrument panels, door panels, armrests, or center consoles have used different materials and production technologies for skin, foam, and core layers. Asahi Kasei’s Sebs material is suitable for skin and foam layers, which can be molded in one step by utilizing a core back injection molding process and the strong chemical bonding between all layers eliminates the need for additional adhesive layers. Sebs contributes to reducing the total number of materials, simplifying the manufacturing process, and improving the recyclability of interior components. Another solution to streamlining the manufacturing process for OEMs from Asahi Kasei is the mPPE (modified polyphenylene ether) particle foam, Sunforce. This material is well-suited for mass production of thin-walled, complex-shaped parts that require low tolerances, high heat stability, or UL94 V-0 flame retardancy. These properties make Sunforce a perfect fit for thermal management solutions in electronic devices, transportation trays for Li-Ion battery cells, insulation parts for HVACs, and foam cores for FRP composite parts.

With the increasing number of radar applications across industries, the pressure to reduce material, production costs, and weight is rising. Slotted waveguide array antennas for automotive millimeter-wave radars are typically made of metal, requiring cost- and time-intensive milling processes. Asahi Kasei’s mPPE Xyron features proven wet-platability, omitting the milling process and allowing for mass production of resin antenna parts via injection moulding which lowers cost and increases scalability.

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