COMPOSITE MATERIAL PROVIDES DIMENSIONAL STABILITY, REDUCES COST AND WEIGHT

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COMPOSITE MATERIAL PROVIDES DIMENSIONAL STABILITY, REDUCES COST AND WEIGHT
27 September 2002 - Solvay Advanced Polymers Llc

Engineers at Delphi Automotive Systems have chosen a grade of AMODEL polyphthalamide from Solvay Advanced Polymers, L.L.C. for the engine air control valve for an outboard engine application. Commonly called a “throttle body,” the valve controls the amount of intake air that goes to the engine.

A butterfly valve within the throttle body opens and closes in response to the throttle position selected by the engine operator. Located in the engine bay, the valve mounts to a composite intake manifold that is also part of an integrated air fuel module produced by Delphi.

“The biggest concern for this type of application,” says David Evans, senior design engineer at Delphi Automotive Systems, “ is the roundness of the body’s bore. The butterfly must seal tightly against the bore to minimize air leakage around the valve. A good fit at low airflows is critical to controlling engine speed at the low end, particularly at idle speed.”

AMODEL A-1565 is a mineral- and glass-reinforced grade that exhibits a heat-deflection temperature of 271°C and a flexural modulus of 2,600,000 psi. It was designed to be cost-effective in applications requiring good dimensional stability and retention of stiffness at elevated temperatures. It was selected because it allows Delphi to injection mold the throttle body and to hold tight tolerances on both the size and the roundness of the bore.

Body Cost and weight savings
Evans points out that valves of this type have historically been machined from aluminum.

Injection molding the part using AMODEL A-1565 HS results in a sufficiently small gap at the valve seat for efficient engine operation while providing a significant cost saving. “The costs of casting aluminium and injection molding plastic are about the same,” he explains, “but the molding results in a net shape, which effectively eliminates the cost of machining the aluminum part to its final dimensions.”

The choice of AMODEL PPA also provides Delphi’s customers some weight saving compared to aluminum, and the throttle body exhibits much better resistance to the corrosive effects of salt water that can be part of the outboard engine’s operating environment. The material is also heat resistant over the range from –40°C to +125°C, which is typical of automotive underhood applications.

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About: Solvay Advanced Polymers Llc
Solvay Advanced Polymers Llc is a subsidiary of Solvay America Inc, the US holding company of Solvay SA. The company produces high-performance polymers that are used in a wide range of demanding applications in the automotive, aerospace, industrial, foodservice, medical, and electronics industries worldwide.

Solvay SA is an international pharmaceuticals and chemicals group with headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, employing about 30 000 people in 50 countries. In 2003, its consolidated sales amounted to EUR 7.6 billion, generated by activities in its three major business sectors: chemicals, plastics and pharmaceuticals. Solvay SA is listed in the Euronext 100 index of top European companies.

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