The Ford battery pack made from Noryl

Sabic's Innovative Plastics business has commended Ford Motor Company and PSA Peugeot Citroën Group for innovative use of the supplier’s thermoplastic materials in two separate applications, which were recently named finalists in the Automotive Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers’ (SPE’s) 42nd-annual Automotive Innovation Awards Competition.

The first of these is the Ford Focus Electric’s high-voltage battery pack moulded from Sabic’s Noryl GFN resin, which helps give the new electric vehicle extended driving range, greater battery capacity and lighter weight than traditional materials. The second application is the rear quarter window glazing for the Citroën DS5 hatchback.

Moulded from Lexan GLX polycarbonate (PC) resin, the glazing enables an ambitious three-dimensional design and a 20 percent weight savings vs. glass. Noryl GFN and Lexan GLX resins are two examples of Sabic’s continued commitment to help automotive customers cut vehicle weight for improved fuel economy, drive advancements in EV technology and have greater freedom to create world-class designs.

"It’s always an honour to see applications with our materials counted among the world’s most innovative automotive plastic solutions," says V Umamaheswaran (UV), director of marketing, Automotive, Innovative Plastics.

"Seeing our customers’ applications once again in the field of finalists speaks to the level of innovation for which we strive. The two finalists also demonstrate how we are helping OEMs move the needle on weight reduction, while also delivering greater design flexibility to help automakers stay ahead of consumer preferences and business demands."

The Ford Focus Electric’s battery pack is a finalist in the SPE competition’s Powertrain category. The Citroen rear quarter window is a finalist in the Body Exterior category. The awards will be presented on November 7 at the SPE Automotive Innovation Awards Gala in Livonia, Michigan, US.

Touted as America’s most fuel-efficient five-passenger vehicle, the all-electric Ford Focus relies on its high-voltage EV battery pack to achieve an extended driving range of 76 miles, fuel economy of 105 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) and a fast charge time. Ford selected Sabic’s Noryl GFN resin for the battery housing because the material enables thin-wall moulding to free up space for more battery cells.

The combination of thin-wall design and low specific gravity of the Noryl GFN resin reduces weight by 15 per cent. This modified-polyphenylene ether (MPPE) resin also delivers excellent dimensional stability and property retention in demanding environments.

The elegant design of the Citroën DS5 is enhanced by its softly curved rear quarter windows that smoothly integrate an aerodynamic spoiler and roof pillar. Lexan GLX resin enables a 3D design that cannot be executed with glass, and also cuts overall glazing weight by one-fifth.

These are the largest rear quarter windows in production, and also the first to use injection-compression moulding to reduce residual stresses. The components benefit from the high cleanliness, weatherability and coating compatibility of this new Sabic material.

In addition to the two finalist applications, Sabic materials were featured in four additional award nominations including the front fender of the 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport compact sport-utility vehicle (SUV).