Borealis, a supplier of polyolefin plastic materials for engineering applications in the automotive industry, announced the availability of Fibremod, its innovative carbon and glass fiber-reinforced polypropylene (PP) technology, for the North American automotive market.

The Fibremod family of products enables automotive manufacturers to achieve weight-saving and process cost-saving targets. In turn, replacing engineering plastics and metal parts with energy-efficient and lighter weight PP grades leads to improved fuel economy and lower CO₂ emissions.

Borealis’ customized carbon and glass fiber-reinforced PP solutions bring lighter weight, extra strength, and greater impact performance across applications ranging from front end and tailgate modules to instrument panel and center console carriers.

Products in the Fibremod family are a suitable material substitute for metal, and engineered plastics, delivering unmatched design flexibility. Short-glass, long-glass and carbon fiber formulations are available, with customizable fiber content ratios, to enable manufacturers to balance strength, weight, and cost according to specific design needs.

• Fibremod PP short glass fiber (SGF). Fibremod SGF is the material of choice for static loads, with the widest processing window and excellent surface aesthetics. It offers the best balance of performance to cost and is available with glass fibre content ranging from 10%
  to 50%, providing stiffness of up to 13,500 MPa and tensile strength of up to 160 MPa. The final material properties are defined by the combination of specific length of short glass fiber, the PP matrix, the chemical coupling and a proprietary technology to preserve the fiber length. Fibremod SGF is usually converted to parts using injection moulding technologies, including more complex processes such as injection compression moulding and injection foam moulding.

• Fibremod PP long glass fiber (LGF). Fibremod LGF meets the requirements for high dynamic loads and low creep behavior. The pellets’ long fibers lead to tensile strength of up to 170 MPa, excellent creep resistance and high impact strength, combined with an excellent performance to cost balance. The product portfolio covers glass fiber contents ranging from 20% to 60%, with custom grades to provide the greatest stiffness and strength at elevated temperatures, with outstanding energy absorption in high speed deformation combined with good surface appearance for visible parts. Fibremod LGF compounds typically have excellent flowability for smooth processing and low anisotropy shrinkage (warpage).

• Fibremod PP carbon fiber (CF). Fibremod Carbon is a new product group offering stiffness not previously seen in PP, at up to 16,700 MPa. Combined with extremely low density, this qualifies Fibremod Carbon
  as a lightweight construction material with the potential to replace conventional engineering plastics, high-performance plastics and other lightweight metals.

Fibremod products also support energy efficiency in production by reducing process temperatures and energy requirements compared with alternative solutions such as polyamide (PA).