Where is there more room for plastics and elastomers in today's new cars?

Sutterlin: The amount of plastics being used in cars is set to grow even faster. The overriding aim is to optimize weight and improve the comfort and functionality of our vehicles, and the best way of doing this is to use plastics. This is why we are convinced that greater use will be made, for example, of the specialty thermoplastics that are currently under development for the exterior bodywork, and that glass will be increasingly substituted by scratchproof coated polycarbonate. As far as plastic glazing is concerned, Bayer and GE--the two biggest polycarbonate manufacturers in the world--have set up a joint development and production company under the name Exatec. New polyamide applications in the engine compartment and hybrid structural components are further examples of potential growth areas in the use of plastics. Q: With the coming century, what industries will emerge as the new growth markets for engineering-grade plastics? A: The present growth markets will also continue ...  more