The wave of "plastic replacing steel" has already risen.

The wave of "replacing steel with plastic" has already emerged. Do you know how intense the automotive lightweighting is now? To extend the driving range, the entire industry is simultaneously fighting on three fronts.

1st front, the competition between material strength and weight. In early December, China Chery and Hebei Iron & Steel Group jointly launched the first 2400MPa ultra-high strength and toughness hot-formed steel plate, which is a significant leap in strength compared to the mainstream 1300-1800mpa materials, providing a brand-new possibility for vehicle weight reduction. HRC has launched a single-shell carbon cabin structural component made of carbon fiber, which reduces weight by 30% compared to the traditional steel and aluminum solution. The all-carbon fiber wheel hub achieves a weight reduction of over 40% compared to the metal wheel hub.

The 2nd front: The functional revolution of plastics and composite materials. Plastics in cars are no longer just simple interior parts. Take PP for example. With glass fiber reinforcement, its tensile strength can reach 80MPa. When used for body panels, it can reduce weight by 25%. Through strontium ferrite filling modification, excellent electromagnetic shielding performance can be achieved, meeting the requirements of intelligent driving and reducing weight by 60% compared with traditional metal materials.

The 3rd front and special engineering plastics PEEK of tackling tough problems as the performance of special engineering plastics, in lightweight applications become a darling, through compound modification improved abrasion resistance, heat dissipation performance, key components for new energy vehicles, such as electric drive gear life 100000 hours.

This lightweighting competition demands that we must achieve the functional integration of materials: while becoming lighter, the properties of flame retardancy, heat resistance, insulation, and high strength must be realized in one. Especially in the fields of battery safety and high-voltage insulation, flame retardant performance has changed from an optional option to a safety bottom line. When the original equipment manufacturers are making subtractions in physics, our materials industry has to make additions in performance. This is the value high ground for us upstream players.