Transport: saving energy, improving safety
What do modern cars, buses or lorries and modern planes have in common? This: it is very likely that, if you removed all the components made from petrochemical-based products, you would no longer be able to drive or fly them.
Colourfast durability, design flexibility and light weight make petrochemical-based composites an obvious choice for automotive bodies and components. From entire lorry cabs to the synthetic rubber tyres you ride on, petrochemical products have become an integral part of the automotive industry.
But they are not used in the automotive and aviation industries just because they make car and aircraft manufacturers' lives easier. Yes, their easy processability helps reduce the vehicle assembly time, and thus the costs. But, more importantly, if these petrochemicals-based products have become so prevalent it is thanks to their light weight, which invariably translates into considerable energy savings.
An example? Approximately 100kg of petrochemicals-based plastics in a modern car replaces 200 to 300kg of traditional materials. This helps minimise environmental impact, notably through fuel savings, and save non-renewable resources, cutting fuel consumption drastically.
Some petrochemical-based materials are used for other properties - and these can help save lives.
The use of plastics in the automotive industry contributes to the safety of cars. Have you ever wondered why cars do not explode in real life as frequently as they seem to do in action films? That is thanks to petrol (gasoline) tanks made of High Density Polyethylene (HDP), which ensure additional safety in case of accident through their outstanding shape-resistance. When petrol is prevented from leaking, a fire cannot start.
Petrochemical-derived synthetic rubber is another example of the contribution of petrochemistry to road safety. Synthetic rubber gives tyres better road-hugging ability, especially on wet roads. Phenolic resins are used in binders for friction materials in brakes and clutches. Car and booster seats made from petrochemicals-based components such as styrene-based plastics that meet crash-test standards have helped reduce the death rate from motor vehicle occupant-related injuries among children aged 14 and under.
The antifreeze spray used on cars in winter is often produced using ethylene glycol. Ethylene and propylene glycols are also used in aeronautics and ensure safe take-off in spite of bad winter weather conditions. Yes, the aeronautic industry also relies heavily on petrochemicals: composites derived from petrochemicals can save more than 30% of the weight of an aircraft structure. And on a plane, as you well realise when they weigh your suitcase on checking-in, the weight of every item counts: when all the spirit miniatures on a wide-body aircraft are in plastic instead of glass, you could buy a luxury car with the money saved every year!
For more information, see Plastics, a material of choice for the automotive industry.
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