Bayer MaterialScience bags award for Bayflex RIM lightweight polyurethane system

Leverkusen, October 30, 2012: The Bayflex lightweight polyurethane system from Bayer MaterialScience has bagged the ‘10th MATERIALICA Design + Technology Award 2012’ at the MATERIALICA trade fair in Munich, Germany. The jury presented the ‘Best of’ award in the ‘Material’ category for the high-performance and tough-elastic polyurethane construction material, which even floats on water due to its low density.

Demand for lightweight construction systems in the automotive industry is now at an all-time high, with the aim being to cut fuel consumption, costs and CO2 emissions. According to VCD Verkehrsclub Deutschland, reducing the weight of a vehicle by 100kg lowers fuel consumption by 0.5 litres over a distance of 100 kilometres and cuts carbon dioxide emissions by 1.2 kilograms over the same distance. Lightweight structures are now more important than ever given the trend toward future-oriented drive technologies such as electric mobility. Bayer MaterialScience has already developed a wide range of energy-efficient polyurethane materials for the automotive sector. The Bayflex RIM lightweight polyurethane system can be used to reduce the weight of finished components by up to 30 percent. With a density of just 0.9 kilograms per litre, this material is even lighter than water.

“This solution owes its lightweight design to the high-grade Bayflex polyurethane system in tandem with a clever combination of fillers that replace the usual mineral fibres,” explained Dr Birgit Meyer zu Berstenhorst, who was responsible for developing the material. “The excellent mechanical properties remain intact,” she added. The material enables a considerable reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions and, with certain vehicle models, also improves driving dynamics. In electric cars, this better compensates for the still considerable weight of the battery and helps extend the vehicle's range.

This compact material offers great design freedom for vehicle construction and can be used to make components with a Class A surface that are to be finished with a high-grade coating. It is processed using tried-and-tested RRIM (Reinforced Reaction Injection Molding) technology.

"We are delighted with this recognition of our commitment to sustainable material solutions," said Dr Berstenhorst. "Our new material weighs up to 30 percent less than the standard material and is thus a perfect fit for future drive concepts such as electric mobility."

This solution's light weight is attributable to the high-performance polyurethane system Bayflex Lightweight together with a sophisticated combination of fillers instead of the mineral fibres used previously. "The excellent mechanical properties of the system are thus retained," added Dr Berstenhorst. The compact material also offers great design freedom in vehicle construction.

The potential for innovation offered by this lightweight design concept can also be applied to other areas of application in mobility, such as trucks and buses. Bayer experts believe it is also suitable for use in the leisure and furniture sector, the construction industry and the IT segment.

Photograph: Bayer MaterialScience’s Bayflex team with the MATERIALICA Award 2012. L-R: Dieter Gaumitz, Heike Niederelz, Silvia Gülker-Löhr, Andreas Stabla, Dr Norbert Eisen, Dr Birgit Meyer zu Berstenhorst, Gregor Murlowski, Daniel Seidlitz, Dieter Schendzielorz and Uwe Pfeuffer (not visible in the picture).

Photo courtesy: Bayer MaterialScience AG