6. Main applications. Markets and prospects

6.1 Automotive and transport

The automotive and transport market, and in particular that of industrial vehicles, represents a major outlet for parts made from polyurethane or polyurea using R-RIM or S-RIM technology.

The addition of glass fibers or other mineral fillers to polyurethane or polyurea matrices enables exterior body parts to limit differential thermal expansion. In fact, the constant evolution of customer requirements and quality standards is leading car and commercial vehicle manufacturers to use synthetic materials with the least tendency to deform in response to temperature variations. This means that the plastic bodywork of the same vehicle, whether in the ice of Alaska or in the desert of Nevada, must behave in an acceptable manner....