Automakers continue to innovate, developing ways to leverage communications for limitless connectivity; energy to support electrification; turbocharged engines to boost power; and lighter designs to improve fuel consumption. These advances will increase car performance, driver comfort and safety, and sustainability within the auto industry.
Chemours’ thermal and specialized solutions, portfolio of advanced performance materials offers solutions to support the future of car designs. With lighter weight composite components, smaller engine designs, and sustainable materials, automakers are meeting the demand for economical, environmentally sustainable cars that don’t compromise performance.
Lighter Cars: More Efficient and Sustainable
Regulations that mandate less fuel consumption and lower emissions have led a push to produce more economical, environmentally sustainable cars through lightweighting. While advances in composite materials offer solutions for using lighter weight components, this new approach introduces other challenges with:
- Component accessibility
- Material compatibility
- Increased operating temperatures
Krytox™ high-performance lubricants help auto manufacturers enhance and expand their lightweighting efforts without sacrificing quality or performance. Chemours designed these lubricants to withstand the most extreme environments, extend the lifespans of hard-to-access parts, and ease friction between components.
Doing More With Less: High-Performance in Extreme Conditions
Miniaturizing powertrains, engines, and engine components helps to reduce fuel consumption. This miniaturization, however, also creates higher temperatures and pressured environments for seals and engine components. These extreme conditions can shorten the life or destroy elastomer parts, like turbocharger hoses, seals, O-rings, and gaskets.
Elastomer parts manufactured with Viton™ fluoroelastomers remain flexible and elastic in elevated temperatures and corrosive environments for significantly longer. When exposed to synthetic lubricants and harsh chemicals, parts made with Viton™ fluoropolymers outperform the competition.
Underhood Conditions Heat Up
Critical auto components—like motor bearings, gearboxes, and valves—operate at higher temperatures in modern cars. A breakdown in any of these components sidelines a car.
New chemistry in high-performance lubricants extends the time between scheduled maintenance and oil changes. Krytox™ lubricants enable critical components to operate longer at higher temperatures. Krytox™ lubricants leverage their retention properties to keep under-the-hood components operating in the harsh conditions found in today’s automobiles.
Enhanced Quiet in Modern Vehicles
An unanticipated consequence resulting from vehicles with smoother, quieter rides is the prevalence of previously unnoticed slight rattles and faint noises. Applying lubricant to latches, vents, motors, seat frames, and other components resolves much of the noise and vibration. But a simple grease may degrade more quickly and react negatively to surrounding materials, which leads to component deterioration or discoloration.
Compared to other alternatives like silicone-based oils and greases, Krytox™ oils and greases offer superior qualities like high lubricity and chemical resistance to dampen vibrations and noise and create a more pleasant driving experience.
The Key to a Comfortable Ride: Climate Control
While reduced noise and lower vibrations help make rides pleasant, a car’s ability to maintain a comfortable temperature and low humidity is also essential. Global regulations designed to protect the environment include mandates designed to reduce ozone depletion and the impact of greenhouse gases.
Chemours has developed innovative refrigerants that exceed these standards. The company’s Opteon™ refrigerants—hydrofluoroolefin (HFO) refrigerants—deliver superior performance for cabin cooling and offer zero ozone depletion potential (ODP) and very low global warming potential (GWP).
Staying Connected
As automotive technology evolves, so does the complexity of automobile electrical systems. Teflon™ fluoropolymers improve the efficiency and connectivity of wires, cables, and circuits that power the equipment upon which communication depends. These components—and smart sensors—enable central processing units (CPU) to connect to 5G networks that facilitate data transmission to other devices, geolocation services, and navigation systems.
