Composite Materials for

Automotive Applications
COMPOSITE
MATERIALS
more performance. Advanced material solutions for
the manufacture of lightweight, high performance and
complex structures.

A world leader in composite materials for structural applications, Solvay proactively develops innovative and class-leading
material systems to meet the needs of the Automotive OEMs and their supply chain, creating solutions for weight and
emission reduction, recyclability and pedestrian protection.

Solvay, the partner of choice for the Automotive market

The Automotive industry faces many challenges: improving energy efficiency, reducing vehicle emissions, increasing
safety and appeal at reduced program cost. Solvay’s composite material scientists, Automotive experts and application
engineers work with you to address these tough challenges and to create and refine, industry-leading solutions of the
highest standards.

Whether your goal is to reduce the vehicle mass or develop a new design for your vehicles, Solvay works collaboratively
to deliver the optimum solution for you:

• Large and robust product portfolio offering • Materials for structural Body In White structures, body
lightweight, cost-effective, multi-material technology panels and visual components.
solutions.
• Materials compatible with automation systems and
• Compatible surfacing films. rapid processing.
• Industry leading rapid cure resin systems for hot • Strategic collaborations with OEMs and Tier 1 while
compression molding. being strongly integrated.
 COMPOSITE MATERIALS FOR AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS
SERIAL AUTOMOTIVE

Solvay is leading the adoption of composite materials in serial automotive for structural and bodywork
applications, through differentiated material solutions that address Total Cost of Ownership reduction.
We have developed solutions to support the drive for lightweight, cost – effective, multi-materials vehicle
solutions to meet the needs of the automotive OEMS for high volume manufacture.

EvoliteTM – thermoplastic
SOLVAY ’S Bonding/Assembly
G S O LU T
BLIN IO
composites
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SolvaLiteTM – thermoset Modeling, simulation
rapid cure prepregs Enab methods and material cards
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Ec
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Reinforcement Class “A” solutions

ystem
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formats

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Carbon Fiber Automated part
Pro
manufacturing (DDF)

Recyclate Molding Compound Tailored blank

(RMC) manufacturing
Hot compression molding

We continue to refine our portfolio of materials and process technologies tailored to automotive applications to
enable volume ramp up, robustness and scalability.
Our leading application engineering capabilities combine expertise in materials, technologies and processes to
meet our customers’ needs.

1 / Composite Materials for Automotive Applications

 COMPOSITE MATERIALS FOR AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS
AUTOMATED PART MANUFACTURING

KEY BENEFITS
• Increased throughput • No human interaction

• Enables single minute Takt times • Diaphragm forming of the blank aids fiber draping
by maintaining a consistent pressure and tension
• Suitable for hot compression molding
during 3D forming
and performing
• Enables complex 3D geometries to be formed in a
• Automated ply cutting combined with robotic pick
single process step, without preforming
and place builds a tailored flat blank
• Flexible cell equipment can support multiple
• No internal or external release agent (ideal for
components with a tool and program change
painting or bonding operations)

MANUFACTURING ROUTE:

DIAPHRAGM
COMPOSITE TAILORED BLANK FORMING OF COMPRESSION
MANUFACTURE MANUFACTURE 2D BLANK INTO MOLDING
3D PART

TYPICAL APPLICATIONS:
Serial production of automotive
structural parts up to 80,000
components per year from a
single manufacturing line.
Floor pans, sidewall panels,
crush cans, body panels.
Tailored blank sandwiched between two diaphragms Finished part

APPLICABLE RANGE
• SolvaLiteTM 23, SolvaLiteTM 710-1, SolvaLiteTM 712, SolvaLiteTM 730 and
SolvaLiteTM 760 rapid cure materials.
• Double Diaphragm Forming membrane material, combining excellent
3D forming with self releasing properties.
• Dry fabrics for HP-RTM preforms using SolvaLiteTM 750.

Composite Materials for Automotive Applications / 2

 COMPOSITE MATERIALS FOR AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS
THERMOSET HOT COMPRESSION MOLDING

KEY BENEFITS
• Single step molding process • Allows rapid processing of composites
through short cures
• Use of existing automotive pressing
supply chain equipment • Reduced tooling investment when
• Mechanical performance equivalent to compared with sheet metal stamping
autoclave cured components • Process can be easily automated

Chevrolet Spark EV battery tray manufactured from Complex 3D component manufactured from A Pillar manufactured from SolvaLiteTM 730
SolvaLiteTM 23 SolvaLiteTM 710-1

Bulkheads manufactured from SolvaLiteTM 710-1 BMW M4 GTS hood manufactured from B Pillar manufactured from SolvaLiteTM 730
SolvaLiteTM 760

TYPICAL APPLICABLE RANGE

Products Product form Reinforcement Tg (DMA Onset) oF (oC) Application

SolvaLiteTM 23 Prepreg Glass fiber Low: 170 (77) Secondary structures

SolvaLite TM
710-1 Prepreg Carbon or glass fiber High: 302 (150) BIW structures/closures
SolvaLiteTM 712 Prepreg Carbon fiber High: 170 Class A/
BIW structures/closures
SolvaLiteTM 730 Prepreg Carbon or glass fiber Medium: 266 (130) BIW structures
SolvaLiteTM 760 Filament Carbon fiber Medium: 257 (125) BIW closures
winding

TYPICAL APPLICATIONS:
Mass production of primary and secondary automotive structures.

3 / Composite Materials for Automotive Applications

 COMPOSITE MATERIALS FOR AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS
THERMOSET HOT COMPRESSION MOLDING
HOT COMPRESSION MOLDING ADDRESSES
HIGH LEVEL MANUFACTURING CHALLENGES

Challenges Solutions

Infrastructure and supply chain Materials and processes developed for use with existing equipment and
expertise within the automotive supply chain.
Tooling capex Significantly lower tooling investment compared with current metal BIW
structures.
Quality Industry leading mechanical performance and quality.
• Induces high hydrostatic pressure ~10-50bar (<6bar autoclave).
• Low resin loss (<10%) with Vf (50-60%).
• High quality surface finish and low porosity (<1%).
• Tg develops ahead of the cure, allowing hot demolding and stable components.
In-situ cure monitoring and rapid data capture for cycle time optimization and
quality control.
• Resin ionic viscosity monitoring and cure conversation analysis through the use of
Dielectric sensors (DEA).
• Optional built-in sensors for accurate surface pressure and temperature monitoring.
Cycle time Sub 3 minute cure time.
Sub 5 minute takt time potential.
Process repeatability Highly automatable and compatible with existing robotic and automation
technologies.
Process complexity Single stage manufacturing process compared to metal molding.
Isothermal tooling requires no thermal cycling.
Demold hot with industry standard ejection.

Composite Materials for Automotive Applications / 4

 COMPOSITE MATERIALS FOR AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS
AUTOMATED FILAMENT WOUND TAILORED
BLANK MANUFACTURE WITH SOLVALITETM 760

KEY BENEFITS
• Flat blanks can be pressed to make parts in a • One process for impregnating and building up multi
similar manner to metal pressing (this enables the ply blank
use of existing capital equipment)
• Mechanical properties comparable to prepreg
• Filament winding has been identified as a low cost
• High drapability
process for making a flat, multi ply, continuous
fiber blank • Automatable

• Process uses cost-optimized raw materials, carbon • Unique visual appearance

fiber and resin. Consumables used in prepreg
manufacture (poly, paper, etc.) are reduced

TYPICAL APPLICATIONS:
Serial production of automotive
parts similar to sheet metal
forming.

Tailored blank before compression molding Stamping of the blank in a two-sided metal mold
using a hydraulic press

5 / Composite Materials for Automotive Applications

 COMPOSITE MATERIALS FOR AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS
AUTOMATED FILAMENT WOUND TAILORED
BLANK MANUFACTURE WITH SOLVALITETM 760
CASE STUDY 1: CAR DOOR

Door inner frame after pressing Trimmed door inner component MUTE car

CASE STUDY 2: CAR HOOD

Car hood after pressing Trimmed inner hood component BMW M4 GTS car

Composite Materials for Automotive Applications / 6

 COMPOSITE MATERIALS FOR AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS
HIGH PRESSURE RESIN TRANSFER
MOLDING (HP-RTM) WITH SOLVALITETM 750

KEY BENEFITS
• Total cycle time of sub 5 minutes • Low initial viscosity allows for full wet-out prior
to resin cure
• 2 minute cure capability at 130 ºC
• Excellent structural performance
• 140 ºC Tg allows for hot-demolding
• Fully automatable process (from preforms through
• Highly tough resin offering benefits such as
to post-mold processing)
durability and impact resistance
• Internal release agent compatible
• Reduced void content when compared to
traditional RTM

Press in Application Center HP-RTM equipment in Application Center Car floor manufactured from SolvaLiteTM 750

TYPICAL APPLICATIONS:
High rate manufacture of body structure components such as floor pans, sidewall panels, crush cans, bulkheads.

7 / Composite Materials for Automotive Applications

 COMPOSITE MATERIALS FOR AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS
EVOLITETM – THERMOPLASTIC COMPOSITES
THE FUTURE IS LIGHTWEIGHT
Evolite™ is Solvay’s high-end patented thermoplastic product range for composite applications.
EvoliteTM is designed for use in ultra-lightweight composite materials and offers outstanding mechanical properties.
Evolite™ thermoplastic composites are available as unidirectional tapes as well as woven and cross-ply laminates
on glass, carbon or any other continuous fiber.

IMPREGNATION/
CONSOLIDATION

+ = INDUSTRIAL
PROCESS

EVOLITETM RESIN REINFORCEMENT SEMI-FINISHED INDUSTRIAL FINISHED PRODUCT

• PA66 • Glass PRODUCT PROCESS • Seats
• PPS • Carbon • Uni-directional • Stamping • Beams and pillars
• PPA tape • Chassis components
• Thermoforming
• Woven or • Overmolding • Transmission parts
cross-ply laminate
• Tape placement • Floor and roof structures
• Tape winding • Doors

EvoliteTM Features
• Overmolding; function integration • Infinite shelf life

• Outstanding crash capabilities • NVH performance

• Reformable and recyclable

Composite Materials for Automotive Applications / 8

 COMPOSITE MATERIALS FOR AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS
HIGH PERFORMANCE LOW VOLUME AUTOMOTIVE
SOLVAY IS THE LEADING SUPPLIER OF MATERIALS FOR
HIGH-PERFORMANCE AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS:
• Lightweight and high-performance material solutions
• Surfacing films and fast cure resin systems for press, traditional vacuum bag and autoclave processing
• Focused on developing automation-ready materials and processes
• Materials for primary and secondary structures, high temperature and impact applications, body panels and
visual components
• Strategic collaborations with Tier 1 & OEMs

STRUCTURAL MATERIALS

• Thermoset composites - epoxy, phenolic, BMI, • In-house prototype and application engineering
cyanate ester matrices capability through our dedicated application
center, composites design engineering, laminating
• A range of reinforcements and product formats -
analysis and process development
uni-directional, non-crimp fabrics, woven fabrics
and DForm cross plied and tailored blanks • Experienced project engineers

• Complete material characterization capability, • Accredited quality assurance

(mechanical testing, CAI FMBAI, TMA, Rheology,
DSC, C-Scan, image analysis...)

Composite Materials Product Selector Guide

Structure Trim
Body Panels
High Temp
Secondary

Exterior
Primary

Interior
Impact

Tg (DMA Onset)
Products Processing ºF (ºC)

CYCOM® 2020 Press/Autoclave 356 (180)

MTM® 49-3 Press/Vacuum/Autoclave 374 (190)
MTM 58B and FRB
®
Press/Autoclave 284 (140)
CYCOM 997 ®
Press/Autoclave 428 (220)
MTM® 28 Press/Autoclave 212 (100)
MTM 228
®
Press/Autoclave 248 (120)
MTM® 57 Press/Autoclave 230 (110)
LTM® 26 LTM® 26EL Press/Autoclave 464 (240)
BPS 240 format 1 Press/Vacuum/Autoclave 325 (163)
VTF® 266 (surface film) Vacuum/Autoclave 311 (155)

9 / Composite Materials for Automotive Applications

 COMPOSITE MATERIALS FOR AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS
HIGH PERFORMANCE LOW VOLUME AUTOMOTIVE
PROCESS MATERIALS

• Comprehensive range of composites processing • Single-use tailored vacuum bags through to

materials optimized for the high-performance reusable vacuum systems, including standard and
Automotive market heated bag solutions, enabling us to provide
innovative curing technology to support autoclave
• Tailor-made kitted solutions which offer time and
and oven vacuum bag prepreg molding, thus
cost savings through excellent process repeatability
offering reduced costs by lowering cycle times and
and reduced wastage
energy consumption

Process Materials Product Selector Guide

Prepreg product °F (°C) Bagging film Release film Sealant tape Peel ply Breather Flash tape

250 (120) Epoxy OOA and HS8171 A5000 UCS180 A100 AB100 FT1
in-autoclave VF450V A6200 B100 AB10
350 (180) Epoxy OOA and HS8171 A5000 SM5142 A100 AB100 FT1
in-autoclave VF800G A6200 B100 AB10
SV3000

COMPOSITE TOOLING

• Tooling prepregs - Epoxy and BMI. Solvay’s • Soft tooling technology including reusable vacuum
prepregs offer outstanding surface finish and bags, integral heater blankets, intensifiers and caul
longevity for the manufacture of complex mold tools sheets

• Our design service can support tool design For all the details on our tooling offer, refer to the
optimization to ensure a fit-for-purpose solution Tooling brochure or visit www.solvay.com

Composite Tooling Product Selector Guide

Out Life Service Temp. Cure

Product Form (days) ºF (ºC) Cure Flexibility/Recommended Cure °F (ºC) Method

DForm® Fabric Epoxy Prepreg 3 356 (180) 8 hours at 140ºF (60ºC). Post-cure 15 minutes at Autoclave
392ºF (200ºC) plus 8 hours at 374ºF (190ºC)

LTM® 12 Epoxy Prepreg 3 356 (180) 70 hours at 86ºF (30ºC) or 5 hours at 158ºF (70ºC). Autoclave
Post-cure 15 minutes at 392ºF (200ºC) plus
8 hours at 374ºF (190ºC)

1-5-1 systems* Epoxy Prepreg 2 356 (180) 8 hours at 140ºF (60ºC) Autoclave

Duratool® 450 BMI Prepreg 45 374 (190) 6 hours at 350ºF (177ºC). Autoclave
Post-cure 6 hours at 440ºF (226ºC)
* Faster lay-up

Composite Materials for Automotive Applications / 10

SOLVAY APPLICATION CENTER
Our Application Center in Heanor, UK was set up to develop new composite products and technologies to meet the
affordability and high-rate needs of the serial automotive industry.

Currently, the team is concentrating on increased automation for the manufacture and conversion of 2D flat blanks
into complex 3D geometries, liquid molding, as well as improving material utilization and reducing or reusing scrap
materials.

Please contact us to find out more about the center and to understand how our highly skilled engineers can
support your project.
 US Auto Flyer 2018
Solvay Solvay
Composite Materials Composite Materials
4500 McGinnis Ferry Rd Composites House, Sinclair Close, Heanor Gate
Alpharetta, GA 30005-3914 USA Industrial Estate, Heanor, Derbyshire, DE75 7SP, UK
custinfo@solvay.com custinfo@solvay.com

www.solvay.com