SICOR Surface Treatment for Tough Bonds
Thursday, 1 March 2001 - Australia's leading science and technology organisation has produced a secret marketing weapon for Ford's new grunt car, the super-charged V8 Falcon 300+ Super Coupe unveiled for the first time at the Melbourne Motor Show today.
The CSIRO SICOR technology to be used in production of the body kit for the Ford Falcon 300+ Super Coupe will mean lower vehicle weight, reduced fuel consumption, lower production costs and for the first time in the world, a motor vehicle with plastic components that are easily recyclable.
SICOR Chief Executive Damien Thomas, says, "SICOR means lightweight Polypropylene and other Polyolefins can now be used to replace the PVC, ABS and other plastic composite assemblies currently used by motor car manufacturers worldwide".
Mr Thomas says, "As plastics make up 28% of a car, and the figure is growing, the use of lighter non-bondable plastics such as Polypropylene means a considerable competitive edge in automotive manufacturing".
"SICOR is a new generation bonding technology allowing the sticking together of previously un-bondable or hard-to-bond materials such as plastic-to-plastic and paint-to-plastic and the lighter, Polypropylene."
"In effect SICOR allows two products traditionally used for car components to be replaced by a single product."
Polypropylene is also recyclable while ABS/PVC composite assemblies currently used in motor vehicle manufacture cannot be separated for recycling using conventional technology.
With recycling of the complete motor vehicle currently legislated for in Germany, soon to be mandatory in Europe, and with Australia likely to follow suit, the use of easily recycled products offered by the use of Polypropylene is a major environmental breakthrough.
Previously although Polypropylene could be easily recycled, no method was known for successfully painting or bonding it without the use of ozone depleting primers and thinners.
Mr Thomas says, "SICOR surface polymer treatment technology has now made this possible".
SICOR is an Australian invented process that for the first time enables the successful adhesion of paints, adhesives, inks, metallic coatings and other materials to otherwise non-bondable plastics (polyethylene, polypropylene and others.
The concept involves oxidising the surface of a polymer followed by the application of special environmentally friendly chemicals that form "chemical connector" molecules on the surface of the originally "smooth" and chemically inert plastic.
SICOR technology is already used in motor vehicle production by Holden Ltd.
The CSIRO SICOR brand is soon to be marketed by a new technology company and for worldwide automotive applications by a joint-venture between CSIRO and Venture Industries.
SICOR Breakout Piece:
SICOR is a cost effective environmentally friendly process for pre-treating plastic automotive components prior to painting, bonding or decorating.
SICOR demonstrates the following key advantages over current technologies:
- It provides significantly enhanced adhesion strength and durability for both painting and bonding applications.
- The process meets global environmental policies on the elimination of ozone-depleting substances, including noxious solvent-based primers that also pose health problems to auto-industry workers. SICOR enables the recycling of plastic automotive components that are non-recyclable using conventional technologies.
- It provides cost savings by allowing the use of cheaper recyclable materials that require less energy to produce than the current materials.
- The process can be easily integrated into existing continuous manufacturing systems, treating at speeds of up to 300 m/min.
Further information:
Damien Thomas, Chief Executive, SICOR, Tel: 61 3 9252
6050
Email:
Damien.Thomas@dbce.csiro.au
Ken Anderson, Manager Communications, CSIRO Built
Environment
Tel: 61 3 9252 6172, AH Mobile: 0414 457 214
Email:
Ken.Anderson@dbce.csiro.au
