| POLYMERS Vol.60 No.8 |
| >> Chinese | >> English | >> Japanese | >> Korean |
COVER STORY
Polymers for Future Automobile Technology |
| COVER STORY: Highlight Reviews |
| Polypropylene Materials for Automotive Application | Yuji FUJITA and Masayuki ARAI |
| <Abstract>
Polypropylene has been in use for many applications because of
its environmental properties and excellent practical performance such
as moldability and mechanical properties. Especially for automotive use,
polypropylene is used widely for products such as bumper or inertial
parts, and the weight fraction of polypropylene in one vehicle is estimated
at more than 5%. In this report the history of technical development
of automotive polypropylene is described. Keywords: Polypropylene / Automotive Materials / Mechanical Properties / Moldability / Morphology |
| Top of the Page▲ |
| Broadening Automotive Applications of Engineering Plastics | Makoto SUGAWARA |
| <Abstract> Engineering
plastics are broadening their automotive parts applications. As well
as the parts weight reduction for the improved fuel efficiency and the
parts integration for more efficient manufacturing, engineering plastics
are supporting the automotive industry's effort of driving for a more
sustainable society by reducing volatile compounds emission and fossil
raw materials consumption. Engineering plastics are also answering to
the consumers' expectation such as safety and driving comfort. New movements
of automotive application development are discussed. Keywords: Engineering plastic / Automotive / Weight reduction / Sustainability / Safety |
| Top of the Page▲ |
| FRP | Toru YAMANAKA and Koji YAMAGUCHI |
| <Abstract> In
this paper, authors report the history of Fiber Reinforecd Plastic (FRP)
use in automobiles to reduce the weight of the automotive body from 1940's
to 2000s. Also, research of high cycle cure epoxy and high cycle manufacturing
system is introduced for mass production cars. At last, demand of matrix
resin is described based on micro mechanics of composites. Keywords: FRP / Automotive / Body / Manufacturing / High Cycle Cure Epoxy Resin / High Cycle Manufacturing System / Micro Mechanics |
| Top of the Page▲ |
| Polymer Science and Technologies on Fuel Cells and Batteries for Automobiles | Takeo YAMAGUCHI |
| <Abstract> A
secure and readily accessible supply of energy is important. In this
context, automobiles are changing away from using engines to electricity
devices, such as batteries and fuel cells. At the same time, our life
style should be changed because of the optimized usage of the energy.
If societies are to be sustainable, the innovation of environmentally
benign energy devices is essential. The key is always the development
of innovative materials. Systematic material design methodology, which
is meaning a hierarchical systematic thinking from molecular level to
application level in a device, is one of the key elements to make a breakthrough
in these complicated fields, such as new key materials and devices. Keywords: Automobile / Fuel Cell / Battery / Polymer Electrolyte / Membrane / Catalyst / PEFC / Alkaline Fuel Cell |
| Top of the Page▲ |
| COVER STORY:Topics and Products |
| Polypropylene/Poly (lactic acid) Polymer Alloy for Reduction of Environmental Load | Koji KAMEO |
| <Abstract> With
a view to devising a countermeasure to global environmental problems
(i.e. depletion of petroleum resources, critical growth of carbon dioxides,
etc.), poly (lactic acid) (PLA), one of the most promising bio-based
polymers, is to be positively utilized in automotive and consumer-electric
industries. However, PLA has several critical drawbacks, such as low
impact strength, low thermal resistance, low moisture durability and
low processability due to low rate of crystallization. In order to overcome
the disadvantage of PLA, a novel PP/PLA alloy, where PLA is incorporated
in a PP matrix, has been proposed and conceived. By the optimization
of compatibilizer and elastomer, PLA is successfully dispersed in sub-micron
order in a PP matrix. At last, the bio-based automotive interior parts,
which fulfill the required performance, appearance and mass-productivity,
have been successfully developed. Keywords: Polypropylene / Poly (lactic acid) / Bio-based Polymer / Polymer Alloy / Reactive Processing / Composite |
| Top of the Page▲ |
| Fuel-Efficient Tires and Elastomer | Masaki YANAGIOKA |
| <Abstract> This
article presents an overview of current R&D activities on fuel-efficient
tires. Nanostructure-Oriented Properties Control Technology (NanoPro-TechTM)
has been employed to effectively develop tires that have reduced rolling
resistance without sacrificing safety performance in wet conditions.
This technology allows the desirable characteristics of rubber to manifest,
and controls its microstructure through the molecular design of its components. Keywords: Fuel-Efficiency / Rolling Resistance / Wet Grip / Loss Property |
| Top of the Page▲ |
| High Heat Resistant and High Thermal Conductive Resins for Power Semiconductor Modules | Akio TAKAHASHI |
| <Abstract> Power
semiconductor devices are key devices for carbon dioxide reduction technology.
Here, we focus on the power semiconductor device module of the automotive
electronics field that is holding more than 50% of the power device market
and we introduce the optimum properties and the examples for polymer
materials applying to the future power module. Keywords: Power Semiconductor Device / Polymer Material / Automotive Electronics |
| Top of the Page▲ |
| Automobiles Made of Plants: A Dream Inspired by Cellulose Nanofibers | Hiroyuki YANO |
| <Abstract> The
plant cell wall consists of a cellulose nanofiber or a cellulose microfibril
bundle. Since the nanofibers are bundles of semi-crystalline extended
cellulose chains, their thermal expansion is as low as that of quartz
whilst their strength is five times that of steel. This report summarizes
the research work on the production of nanofibers from plant resources
and their application in polymer composites. Keywords: Cellulose / Nanofibers / Nanocomposites / Automobile / High Strength / Low Thermal Expansion / Optical Transparency |
| Top of the Page▲ |
| Growing Polymers: A Personal Account |
| Being Dignified, and Moreover Warm, as Such One is Gentle | Tomoyuki IKAI |
| <Abstract> My fruitful research life is always under the watchful eye of the respectable professors. This personal account is summarized as a token of great appreciation for such former teachers and as a fresh determination of my further growth. |
| Top of the Page▲ |
| For the Greatest “Plamodel” | Koji NAKANO |
| <Abstract> This personal account describes my research life and my driving force for researches by making an analogy to plamodels. |
| Top of the Page▲ |
| Front-Line Polymer Science |
| Supramolecular Chemistry-Mimetic Nanoparticle Assembly | Kenichi NIIKURA and Kuniharu IJIRO |
| <Abstract> Self-assembly
systems of molecules have been widely developed over the last 30 years
as “supramolecular chemistry” and the concept of self-assembly has been
used increasingly in large scales beyond small molecules. This review
presents the recent progress in nanoparticle assembly, in particular,
from the view of the mimicry of supramolecular chemistry. Various approaches
to create desired array of nanoparticles have been explored so far. Here,
we focus on the surface modification of nanoparticles with anisotropy.
The anisotropic modification enables particle-particle interactions with
specific direction. The modification of various shapes of particles can
also lead to specific self-assembly of nanoparticles that is different
from the sphere particles. Although the surface of nanoparticles is narrow,
approaches for the surface modification are unlimited and these will
open the door to create various types of arrays in the macroscopic scale,
leading to wide applications for plasmonic and electronic devices. Keywords: Self-Assembly / Nanoparticle / Surface Modification / Polymer / DNA / Virous / Functional Material |
| Top of the Page▲ |
| Copyright(C) 2010 The Society of Polymer Science, Japan All Rights Reserved. |