Light weight composites for automotive applications

Mansour Mohamed, Robert Schartow, Brian Knouff

Research output: Contribution to journalConference articlepeer-review

11 Scopus citations

Abstract

Recent legislative actions have resulted in increased emphasis on the generation of more fuel efficient and more environmentally friendly vehicles, as well as improved fuel economy of conventional vehicles. It has been reported that 75% of a vehicle's energy consumption is directly related to factors associated with vehicle weight. This paper presents a new class of composite materials made by the use of 3D woven, 3WEAVE™, fiber reinforcement and a vacuum infusion process. Properties of composites made from 3 WEAVE™ are compared to those made from similar weight 2D materials. A joint Delphi-3TEX bumper, in which one layer of 3WEAVE E-glass was used, is presented. The excellent conformability of the 3TEX fabric and its high resin infusion speed resulted in a high composite quality with minimal investment in capital and tooling. Substantial weight reduction, as compared to steel and plastic bumpers, while maintaining high strength and stiffness are demonstrated.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1714-1726
Number of pages13
JournalInternational SAMPE Symposium and Exhibition (Proceedings)
Volume48 II
StatePublished - 2003
Externally publishedYes
EventAdvancing Materials in the Global Economy - Applications, Emerging Markets and Evolving Technologies - Long Beach, CA, United States
Duration: May 11 2003May 15 2003

Keywords

  • 3D Weaving
  • Advanced Composites
  • Resin Infusion

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