Body in White

Body in White

Lightweighting is critically important for electrified vehicles, as it compensates for high battery weight, reducing energy consumption and enabling longer range and/or lower battery cost. Composite materials are light, and resistant to fire, crash damage and corrosion. Huntsman offers resin systems optimized for production of composite chassis, body-in-white parts and underfloor panels.

Reliable Chemistry for Body-in-White Components

Using composite materials for body-in-white structures can deliver weight reductions of up to 70% compared to steel, while meeting all safety, mechanical and thermal requirements. Huntsman’s range of ARALDITE® composite solutions includes epoxy resin systems designed for all state-of-the-art processes, including HP-RTM, Wet Compression Molding, Sheet Molding Compound and Pultrusion.

Araldite® LT 3366

Softening point:
150°C

Preforming cycle:
20 s at 180°C

Suitable for: 

  • Preforming

Non-reactive binder for highly efficient mass-production of powdered fabrics and preforms. High softening point prevents ply-to-ply adhesion during storage and fiber distortion at injection temperatures up to 120°C.

Araldite® XB 6078

Softening point:
85°C

Preforming cycle:
120 s at 140°C or 60 s at 160°C

Suitable for:

  • Preforming

Reactive binder offering very high preform stability, even for injection temperatures exceeding 160°C. Recommended for production of thick preforms, such as for leaf spring manufacture, as well as for parts requiring high aesthetic quality.

Araldite® LY 3585 /
Aradur® 3475

Glass transition temperature (Tg):
120 - 130°C

Cure time:
2 min at 115°C (HP-RTM)
1 min at 140°C (WCM)

Suitable for:

  • HP-RTM
  • Wet Compression Molding

 

Fast cure solution offering enhanced processing (1 min injection window at 115°C), reduced curing cycle and improved toughness versus state-of-art technology (ARALDITE® LY 3585 / XB 3458). High clarity system for production of cosmetic parts.

Araldite® LY 3031 /
Aradur® 3032

Glass transition temperature (Tg):
110 - 120°C

Cure time:
30 s at 140°C

Suitable for:

  • HP-RTM
  • Wet Compression Molding

Very fast cure solution developed to improve productivity and meet requirements of structural automotive parts made by Wet Compression Molding (WCM) and Dynamic Fluid Compression Molding (DFCM).

Araldite®LY 3569 /
Aradur® 1571 /
Accelerator

Glass transition temperature (Tg):
130 - 140°C

Cure time:
3 min 150°C

Suitable for:

  • Sheet Molding Compound

Fast cure B-stage SMC system for serial production of automotive parts. VOC free. Resulting SMC retains very good drapability for 3 weeks at 23°C. 

Araldite®LY 3569 /
Aradur® 1571 /
Accelerator 1573 /
Aradur® 1575

Glass transition temperature (Tg):
115 - 135°C

Cure time:
5 - 10 min 150°C

Suitable for:

  • Sheet Molding Compound

Medium Tg B-stage epoxy SMC system for body in white parts. VOC free. The system can be compounded on large sized SMC rolls and the resulting SMC retains very good drapability for 6 weeks at 23°C. A wide range of part thicknesses can be processed.

XB 50021 A /
Aradur® 1571 /
Accelerator 1573 /
XB 50021 B

Glass transition temperature (Tg):
160 - 190°C

Cure time:
5 - 10 min 160°C

Suitable for:

  • Sheet Molding Compound

High Tg B-stage epoxy SMC system for parts close to the engine. VOC free. The system can be compounded on medium sized SMC rolls and the resulting SMC retains very good drapability for 6 weeks at 23°C. Allows processing up to medium part thicknesses.

Araldite® LY 3585 /
Aradur® 917-1 /
Accelerator DY 080

Glass transition temperature (Tg):
120°C - 180°C (adjustable)

Impregnation technology:
Open bath and injection box

Suitable for:

  • Pultrusion

REACH compliant, robust anhydride solution with long pot-life, offering high surface quality for pultrusion parts. Cure profile and the resulting Tg can be adjusted depending on the application requirement.

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ARALDITE® resin systems deliver high panel stiffness at affordable costs.

Their fast cure times (as short as 30 seconds) and high demolding performance enable drastic reductions in cycle times. They deliver high productivity and low waste, while offering the maximum in design freedom and process flexibility.

Huntsman’s simulation capabilities enable process optimization and reduction of development times, leading to further cost savings. We can tailor a resin system and process to any part using our simulation services, and our experts support manufacturers to develop cost-effective processes for mass production of lightweight parts.

The Right Resin Systems for Your Composite Parts

Battery Housing

Battery Housing

Our resin systems allow to reduce battery housing designs weight by up to 40%, while meeting all safety, mechanical and thermal requirements.

View Battery Housing
Body in White

Body in White

We offer resin systems optimized for composite body-in-white parts that are superior to aluminum and often even steel concerning strength and stiffness.

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Wheel

Wheel

Our resin solutions for composite wheels meet the most stringent safety requirements for impact and fatigue resistance, and deliver exceptional color stability and UV resistance.

View Wheel
Leaf Spring

Leaf Spring

We offer a range of resin systems for the production of composite leaf springs, that can be up to five times more durable than steel springs.

View Leaf Spring
Pressure Vessel

Pressure Vessel

Our resin technology meets the stringent requirements of composite hydrogen storage vessels, offering high-impact and chemical resistance.

View Pressure Vessel
Lower Costs, Faster to Market Whatever your Process

Lower Costs, Faster to Market Whatever your Process

Our leading composite expertise, broad product range and unique simulation capabilities can reduce development cycles by up to 50 %. 

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Frequently Asked Questions

What properties are required for body-in-white parts?

Body-in-white parts must have high tensile strength as well as high stiffness. Composites can deliver strength and stiffness superior to aluminum and in some cases, to steel.

What part production times are expected for mass-produced composite parts?

Part production time depends on the process, part size and design complexity. With ARALDITE® resin solutions, it is possible to obtain part-to-part production times between one and two minutes at tool temperatures around 140° C, or between two and five minutes at temperatures around 120° C.

What are the service temperatures of Huntsman’s resin systems?

ARALDITE® resin solutions for mass production enable service temperatures up to 90° C.

Alternative ARALDITE® resin systems with glass transition temperatures (Tg) up to 220° C are offered for applications that require higher thermal resistance.

What specific Huntsman products are recommended for production of body-in-white components?

ARALDITE® LY 3585 resin / ARADUR® 3475 hardener is a fast-cure solution optimized for HP-RTM or wet compression molding. It is a high-clarity system that's suitable for production of cosmetic parts, and has been proven with several years of on-road service.

ARALDITE® LY 3031 resin / ARADUR® 3032 hardener is a very fast-cure solution optimized for wet compression molding (WCM) and dynamic fluid compression molding (DFCM).

ARALDITE® LY 3569 resin / ARADUR® 1571 hardener / Accelerator 1573 / ARADUR® 1575 hardener is a medium-Tg B-stage epoxy SMC system that can be compounded on large SMC rolls.

XB 50021 A / ARADUR® 1571 hardener / Accelerator 1573 / XB 50021 B is a high-Tg B-stage epoxy SMC system, specially designed for parts located close to engines.

ARALDITE® LY 3585 resin / ARADUR® 917-1 hardener / Accelerator DY 080 is a REACH-compliant anhydride solution that offers high surface quality for pultrusion-produced parts. It is suitable for both open bath and injection box processes. Cure profile and the resulting Tg can be adjusted depending on the application requirement.

ARALDITE® LY 3585 resin/ ARADUR® 3475 hardener is a rapid-cure epoxy/amine system optimized for the injection box pultrusion process.

The Right Solution for Your Manufacturing Process

Discover our leading composite expertise, broad product range and unique simulation capabilities to reduce development cycle times.

Processes for Composites

Composite Resin Systems

Our solutions for automotive composites offer superior mechanical performance at lower weight, chemical and particularly corrosion resistance, as well as minimal cycle time.

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