Use of rubber in automobiles

Application of rubber components in automobiles is reaching levels never before imagined The application of rubber compo-nents in automobiles is on the rise. Nearly 80 per cent of the rubber made in the United States is consumed by the auto industry the result of a traditional, close co-operation between the rubber and auto industry. Continuing to this day, the close co-operation between the rubber and auto industry is leading to the development of new ways and technologies to ensure an increased use of rubber components. A modern automobile employs anywhere between 200 to 250 rubber parts made wholly or in considerable part of rubber. By the value of weight, this could amount to anywhere between 145 to 160 pounds per vehicle. Used in practically all forms, including latex, cements, soft rubber, hard rubber or sponge rubber, almost every important characteristics of rubber is utilised. Given that rubber has a wider range of properties, the rubber industry has achieved greater advances that have effected in cost reduction and a vast improvement in quality. One of the most important applications, for example, is tyres. With auto sales in India posting phenomenal growth, the production of tyres versus their quality, properties and price, has seen a huge improvement. The modern breed of tyres (most of them are radial ply and tubeless) ensures greater safety and an ability to achieve higher speeds, and exploit salient properties of the rubber to the fullest. This involves exploring properties of rubber like flexing endurance, withstanding greater distortion without injury. Also, the tensile strength of elastomers like rubber is much larger than the proportionality limit. There's a greater degree of stretch adjustment from soft rubber to hard rubber, and higher capacity to absorb energy. Rubber flaunts very good resistance to chemicals and abrasion; has high di-electric strength and high co-efficient of friction. Rubber is waterproof and has low permeability to most gases and liquids. Readily moulded as a thermosetting plastic, rubber is low in material cost and available in a range of colours. Away from the properties of rubber and it would be impossible to drive a car or fly an aircraft had it not been for this very first process for making synthetic rubber, which was patented by German chemist Fritz Hofmann in 1909. Tyres, V-belts, toothed belts,

hoses, cable sheathing, seals for engines, doors, windows and trunk lids are all applications that have become indispensable for todays mobile world and feature synthetic rubber. Yet tyres are still probably the best-known application. Synthetic rubber therefore helps save fuel and cut CO2 emissions from vehicles. Rubber as elastomers, over a period of time, is contributing to the requirement of weight reduction and the economy of vehicle at a time. A visit to an automobile manufacturing plant is enough to highlight the use of elastomer based components and parts. The common ones include oil seals, O-rings, rubber pads on pedals, body mounts, etc. Elastomer is one of the types of polymers, and are used depending on their properties like rebound, tensile strength, resistance to petroleum products, sustainability in cold and hot weather. A wide variety of elastomers like Nitrile, EPDM, Silicone, Neoprene, HNBR, Butyl, natural rubber, Urethane rubber, fluorosilicone and fluorocarbon, etc., is available today. At the forefront are silicone elastomers, which find application in quick connectors for fuel system. Crankshaft seals and radiator seals are typically made of liquid silicone rubber. These offer elastic flexibility and withstand high temperatures. Rubber pads on accelerator, brake and clutch pedals are made up of natural rubber. Uses of nitrile base elastomers are common for sealing application. These O-rings and oil seals used on fuel system components, shock absorbers, where they have the good resistance to petroleum products and low temperature application. Exterior parts like front fascia, front and rear bumpers, fenders that are designed for the requirement of flexibility and energy absorption are made of polyurethane. They have high tear strength and high tensile strength. Also various types of grommets used on vehicle are made from polyurethane. Clutch cable outer cover, accelerator cable outer cover,

seat mounted side airbag cover, and seat cover are made with using neoprene. It has excellent resistance to ozone, abrasion resistance. Due to resistance to petroleum products it is also used for gaskets, oil seals purpose.

A wide area of application in auto is rubber coated metals. Rubber coated gaskets and seals to be precise. Fluoroelastomer can be used in diesel and gasoline engine head gaskets and other applications that require exposure to temperatures about 75C higher than what HNBR can withstand without degradation. All set to play an important role in sealing, damping and protecting the world of tomorrow, rubber material developed for oil platforms can today withstand temperatures in excess of 1,250C for more than two hours. This durable material could perhaps be of use in other contexts tomorrow. As demands for performance increase, environmental requirements are also being tightened, such as in the automotive industry. What, for example, will replace gasoline. And how will the fuels of tomorrow affect the cars of the future. If the cars of tomorrow use alternative fuels, new, rubber-based distribution systems will be needed to bring these to consumers new fuel filling stations, new hoses, new systems in the car itself, and so forth. If, alternatively, the future brings fuel-cell powered vehicles with an electric motor at each wheel, requirements for rubber anti-vibration solutions will increase and change considerably. Not just that, research is being conducted towards the development of intelligent fenders intended for different types of vessels approaching the quay. With sensors located in rubber fenders, it is possible to have each vessel identify its weight, speed and angle of approach. This information can then be used to adjust the fenders rigidity and energy-absorption capacity. Similar intelligence can be built into the cars anti-vibration systems, where electronically equipped rubber mounts alter their geometry according to the behaviour of the car and are able to predict movements and actively balance the vehicles reactions. Application of rubber in automobiles continues to be on the rise. The salient characteristics of rubber are taking it to places never dreamt of earlier. Today it is the tyres that are made of rubber; tomorrow the roads that cars ply on could be made of rubber. The application has already assumed some proportion. In some parts of some UK cities road surfaces are made from rubber cobbles to deaden traffic noise!