Materials: Glass and Carbon Fiber-Reinforced PP for Automotive

Fibremod, an innovative carbon and glass fiber-reinforced PP technology developed by Austria’s Borealis (U.S. office in Port Murray, N.J.) is being introduced to the North American automotive market via the company’s Taylorsville, N.C. facility. This is the company first North American dedicated automotive PP compounding plant, which began operations in 2019.  

The Fibremod family of products reportedly enables automotive manufacturers to achieve weight-saving and process cost-saving targets. In turn, replacing engineering plastics and metal parts with energy-efficient and lighter weight PP grades leads to improved fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions. These customized carbon and glass fiber-reinforced PP compounds are said to be at the cutting edge in automotive manufacturing, bringing lighter weight, extra strength, and greater impact performance across applications ranging from front end and tailgate modules to instrument panel and center console carriers.

According to Borealis, the Fibremod family of compounds are a suitable material substitute for metal, and engineered plastics, delivering unmatched design flexibility. Short-glass, long-glass and carbon fiber formulations are available, with customizable fiber content ratios, to enable manufacturers to balance strength, weight, and cost according to specific design needs.

Fibremod products also support energy efficiency in production by reducing process temperatures and energy requirements compared with alternative solutions such as polyamides.