Lighter cars to reduce CO₂ emissions

In November 2007 the price of crude oil hit record highs. At gas stations across  Germany, motorists paid an average of 1.46 euros per liter of unleaded petrol and Diesel costs soared to 1.33 euros per liter. Fast forward to January 2022 and once again German motorists are facing dark times. Oil prices are rising, and the new CO2 tax on fossil fuels - introduced in Germany in 2021- is also increasing. On a nationwide average, a liter of Super E10 now costs 1.65 euros, and the record price of 1.58 euros is the cost now for a liter of diesel.

Due to these high fuel prices, fuel-efficient cars are becoming more and more important for consumers. But that's not all: lower fuel consumption also means lower CO₂ emissions - and this is an extremely important aspect in view of the current EU requirements. In the EU, a CO₂limit of 95 grams CO₂/kilometer applies to all new passenger cars from 2021. By 2030, car manufacturers  are already expected to reduce the CO₂emissions of vehicles in their European fleets by an average of 55 percent from today's levels.

Therefore, many automotive OEM sare focusing on more lightweight construction. The less a car weighs, the less fuel it uses and the lower its CO₂emissions. High-performance materials and innovative processes are enabling car manufacturers to build lighter vehicles that not only meet the stringent CO₂specification but also the increasingly stringent safety requirements. Using adhesives becomes the new welding.

This trend does not stop at electric cars either: if an electric car is built lighter from the outset, the motor does not to be as powerful and a smaller battery can be used, which consumes fewer raw materials overall.

So, the use of fiber-reinforced composites - plastics fortified with glass or carbon fibers - in the automobile manufacturing is increasing. In the production process of these composite materials, high-quality hardeners and crosslinkers based on isophorone are needed. With 60 years of experience in isophorone chemistry, VESTAMIN^® by Evonik's Crosslinkers business line plays an important role in this process.

VESTAMIN^® is formulated for high-performance epoxy composite systems which are used in the production of a car's CFRP parts, among others. CFRP stands for “carbon fiber reinforced polymers”, which are commonly used wherever high strength and stiffness is required in  automobile manufacturing. VESTAMIN^® gives  fiber-reinforced composites its high mechanical strength, improved mechanical properties, and good resistance to impact stress, moisture, and chemicals.

Crosslinkers - Creating Marketable and Intelligent Solutions

Mechanical strength, durability, chemical resistance and excellent color stability and adhesion properties – Evonik´s business line Crosslinkers offers tailor-made solutions for customers all over the world. As a raw material supplier, we have a profound understanding of the needs of our customers and their unique markets. Our range of products and expertise generates added value in a number of areas: from coatings and adhesives to civil engineering, high-performance elastomers and composites.

VESTAMIN^® delivers mechanical strength and toughness to fiber-reinforced composites in automobile manufacturing.