Ford has made innovative advances in polyurethane foams for automotive components, in partnership with Tier I Eagle Industries and XG Sciences. Among the latest products released in the automotive industry, Ford, in partnership with Tier I Eagle industries and major graphene suppliers XG Sciences, has developed an innovative approach that uses a very small amount of graphene to greatly improve the thermal conductivity of lightweight foams and improve noise reduction.
This new material is named XGNP Graphene reinforced Polyurethane (PU) foam. Graphene has been widely used in the automotive industry. As a carbon alleles, its strength is 200 times times stronger than that of steel, and is one of the best conductive materials found at present.
It is also a good soundproofing material, very thin and flexible.
Ford uses a very small amount of graphene, less than 0.5% of its dosage, to help achieve significant improvements in durability, sound resistance and weight reduction, an application that no one else is concerned about. New materials are used in the manufacture of many automotive components, such as fuel rail caps, pump caps and front engine covers.
Tests conducted by Ford and its collaborators showed that graphene was mixed with PU foam components, and that noise reduction, mechanical properties and heat resistance were significantly improved compared to traditional foam materials that did not use graphene. Graphene currently has potential in a wide range of applications, and graphene enhanced PU foams offer possibilities for other materials and create ways to achieve significant performance improvements.
The new material will be used for the production of components for some Ford cars, including Ford F-150 and Mustang. Headquartered in Michigan Tham, Eagle Industries is a leading supplier of components for automotive Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
XG Sciences, Inc. is a leading supplier of graphene nanoparticles and other custom advanced formulations, supplying products to OEMs worldwide, including the electronics, energy and industrial markets of various countries. Earlier this month, XG Sciences completed its first phase of expansion, building a new plant with an area of 64,000 square feet. The expansion has added 90 tonnes/year of graphene production capacity to produce up to 18,000 tons of graphene per year. The second phase, which is expected to be completed by the end of this year, will further boost capacity.
Capacity expansion helps XG achieve its goal of continuously promoting the commercialization of graphene in customer products in a number of vertical industry areas. Ford drives innovation in the automotive parts sector