Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Ehrle, Carol
• Lazorko, Lisa
• Dunphy, Joseph F

Titel

Plastics Producers Gear Up for the Battle of Detroit

Ist Teil von

• Chemical week, 1986-11, Vol.139 (19), p.6-6

Ort / Verlag

Englewood: IHS Markit Ltd

Erscheinungsjahr

1986

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Demand from US automakers is prompting plastics suppliers to increase their technical marketing efforts and presence in that market. In the past year, at least half a dozen leading chemical suppliers have established operations in Detroit. Du Pont and Monsanto have taken steps to ensure their holds on the car market, but some companies question the necessity of increasing their presence. For one automaker, Ford Motor Co., research shows a steady line for plastics application in the next 6 years. Ford is replacing its F-series Bronco truck with an all-plastic vehicle, the first to feature plastic body panels and a composite substructure. Plastics companies are looking to get demanding jobs, and some new plastics have found new applications. For example, Monsanto's Lustran Elite low gloss/automotive acrylonitrile butadiene styrene has been used mainly on trim parts, but it is also being used on several console components in 1987 models. Monsanto says the big advantage of the material is that is can meet a range of demanding color-matching requirements. Polymers once competed against metals; now, they are competing against each other for the same application. Thus, competition among the chemical companies is heating up.