Japanese carmaker adopts metal-replacing plastic from LG Chem

A new engineering plastic made of the compound material LUCON TX5007 and developed by South Korea's LG Chem Ltd. has been applied to the front fender of several models of Japanese carmaker Mitsubishi Motors.

A front fender is an exterior part on the side of a car covering the front tire and protects the body from mud or water that splashes from the ground while driving.

LG Chem's powder-coated plastic was applied to the front fender of three Mitsubishi SUV models: the Outlander, Delica D:5 and RVR.

Powder-coated components that utilize the sticky properties of static electricity are usually made of metal.

LG Chem's plastic material, however, has the same performance as a metal one by mixing low-distortion modified polyphenylene ether with shock-resistant polyamide alloy that withstands an on-the-line painting process of 200 degrees Celsius or higher. In addition, the material boasts good powder-coating performance thanks to carbon nanotubes with high electricity conductivity.

A plastic fender is around 4 kg lighter than that of steel of the same size. Reducing vehicle weight raises fuel mileage and reduces emissions, with a 10% drop in vehicle weight improving fuel economy 3.8%. In addition, a front fender made of powder-coated plastic is more efficient as it can be painted together with the metal when the car is painted.

In addition, LG Chem's powder-coated plastic is expected to be used in other exterior automotive parts like bumpers, side mirrors, trunks and fuel filler necks.

"The finished vehicle industry is spurring LG Chem's automotive materials unit to secure material reliability," said Shin Jae-myung, a marketing manager at the company's Engineering Materials Division. "We will lead the market for next-generation materials through high value-added materials backed by technology."

Write to Ik-Hwan Kim at lovepen@hankyung.com