CE-2017-424 New Technologies of Enhanced Plastic for Use in Rail Vehicles to Reduce Noise Emissions
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Article citation info: STAWECKI, W., MERKISZ, J., BAJERLEIN, M., DASZKIEWICZ, P. New technologies of enhanced plastic for use in rail vehicles to reduce noise emissions. Combustion Engines . 2017, 171 (4), 145-149. DOI: 10.19206/CE-2017-424 Włodzimierz STAWECKI CE-2017-424 Jerzy MERKISZ Maciej BAJERLEIN Pawel DASZKIEWICZ New technologies of enhanced plastic for use in rail vehicles to reduce noise emissions The article presents an overview of modern plastics for use in rail vehicles. The analysis of plastics and composites in the constructional aspect was analyzed. The trends in the development of polymer materials, technologies and constructions used in the manufacture of vehicles, on the one hand, are determined by the technical and economic requirements of industry and, on the other, by the continued emphasis on reducing fuel consumption and CO 2 emissions. Further development will be subject to pre-impregnation techniques, particularly in the form of different types of reinforcement. Full use of the advantages of reinforced polymer materials in vehicle production will only be achieved when further optimization of the resin properties and development of automation will result in the widespread use of composite components in series production. Observing the trends and pace of development, it is possible to predict that there are still restrictions on the use of polymeric materials in the transport sector, such as relatively high prices, technological constraints and the hindering automation of large-scale production. Modern construction and material solutions, in particular those using reinforced plastics, are primarily designed to reduce vehicle weight and have better noise and vibration damping properties. Rail vehicles are becoming more environmentally friendly at the time and travel comfort is higher. Key words: rail vehicles, new materials, plastics and composites, CO 2 emissions 1. Introduction 1c). Elastomers neither melt nor dissolve, however they Plastics consists of individual elements – molecules. Af- have good stretch properties, with qualities similar to rub- ter these small elements are linked into chains, large or very ber. Elastomers are frequently present in rail vehicles as large molecules are formed and make up macromolecules. seals, but thermoplastic elastomers (fig. 1d) are most com- Thermoplastics and plastomers are the main types of plas- monly used to make spoilers, as their structure is made up tics that consist of linear or branched macromolecular of co-polymers consisting of hard and soft blocks or a mix- chains that are not connected to one another (fig. 1b). Due ture of thermoplastics with (non-cross-linked or partially to their many beneficial properties, thermoplastics have a cross-linked) rubber. Duroplastics are the third group, in significant contribution in the process of designing vehi- which a greater number of cross-links makes the material cles. Thermoplastics can be melted and dissolved many harder but also more brittle. A large number of molecular times. This has a very high significance, particularly with chains form one large cross-linked network. Such a strongly regard to environmental protection. If individual types are cross-linked plastic is called a duroplastic, or hardening not mixed with one another, thermoplastics are ideally plastic. Duroplastics can neither be melted nor dissolved. suited for recycling, since new parts can theoretically made The capacity for stretching, present in elastomers, also from used ones [4]. Another benefit they offer is that they disappears. However duroplastics are resistant to heat. For can be heat-sealed, so it is possible to remove cracks and this reason, they are used to make engine chamber body scratches. Elastomers are the next group, where both parts, for example. Innovative design and materials solu- stronger and weaker bonds between macromolecules are tions, particularly those applying reinforced plastics, mainly possible, resulting in diverse cross-linking. In the case lead to reduction of vehicle weight and attenuation of noise where a small number of neighboring molecular chains are and vibrations. Thus, the vehicle is more environment- joined by bonds, plastics – i.e. elastomers – are formed (fig. friendly and comfortable. a) b) c) d) Fig. 1. Structure: a) duroplastic, b) termoplastic, c) elastomer, d) thermoplastic elastomer COMBUSTION ENGINES, 2017, 171(4) 145 New technologies of enhanced plastic for use in rail vehicles to reduce noise emissions The next group consists of laminates (composites), applications in vehicle design due to their properties. Rein- made up of at least 2 materials. They exhibit different prop- forced plastics from both groups are dominant in these erties than their individual components. A reinforcing sub- applications. The chemicals industry is engaged in intensive stance is a material that significantly improves the proper- cooperation with vehicle manufacturers, offering materials ties of laminates or makes it possible to obtain certain com- fit to purpose more and more frequently. This does not just posites. The remaining material, ensuring cohesion between involve the proper mechanical properties but also other the components, is the matrix. Laminates can be divided qualities, e.g. enabling the application of plastic parts in into the following categories: elevated temperatures, suitability for industrial lacquering. − layered laminate composites, Although it is generally recognized that metals are charac- − fibrous composites, terized by higher strength than plastics, this is often not the − particle composites, case when reinforced plastics enter into the comparison. − infiltrated composites. Specific strength, or the ratio of strength to density σ γ is Multi-layered composites (Fig. 2) are also being used particularly interesting, because for many plastics (particu- increasingly frequently, and these are composites where the larly reinforced plastics), this strength exceeds values de- matrix is made up of a polymer or plastic. Fibrous compo- termined for metals, as illustrated in Fig. 3. sites (FVK) are particularly important in this case. The reinforcing material consists of natural or synthetic fibers (organic and/or non-organic). These fibers can be short, long and unterminated, or they may be present in the form of products like unwoven fabric, mats, woven fabric or knitted fabric. By combining the fibers with the matrix (in an oriented or unoriented manner), mechanical and thermal properties are improved, such as tensile strength, breaking strength, thermal resistance and modulus of elasticity. Fig. 3. Selected mechanical properties of plastics in comparison with Fig. 2. Composites reinforced with amide fibers with a macromolecular metals (TTP – thermoplastics, TU – hardening plastics) structure Linear thermal expansion α is an important property of The application of plastics in vehicle design is an ex- plastics that is accounted for in vehicle design. Plastics pression of energy savings in comparison to steel and alu- exhibit linear thermal expansion 10 times that of metals. minum. This is not only due to lower operating costs but However, this does not apply to polymer composites, which also lower costs of producing, processing and machining have thermal expansion that is twice as high (glass rein- the material itself. Eliminating plastics in vehicle design forcement) or sometimes even lower (carbon reinforce- would increase energy demand by 26%. Plastics will be a ment) compared to steel. In the case where plastics are necessity in mass-scale industry in the foreseeable future, applied as parts located near a heat source, their resistance and one should also account for the fact that reducing a to elevated temperatures is particularly important. As work- vehicle's weight by 100 kg reduces fuel consumption by up ing temperature increases, the material's strength and rigidi- to 0.6 dm 3/100 km, thus reducing CO emissions by 13 2 ty decrease significantly. The chemicals industry currently g/km [1, 2]. offers polymers that can be used at temperatures up to Currently, plastics have a 23% share in vehicles, and by 300ºC. The acoustic features of polymer materials provide 2030, this percentage is expected to grow to approx. 70%. greater comfort and also have a pro-environmental impact. According to the current trend, plastics are applied on the Sound waves propagate much more slowly in plastics than exterior of a vehicle (approx. 50%), e.g. sheathing, body- in metals, so they are perfect noise-damping materials. work. In a vehicle's interior, plastics (approx. 30%) mainly Sound wave absorption is greater the less elastic the plastic serve to improve comfort and reduce noise. Parts and as- is. Plastic vehicle parts themselves also emit less noise. semblies in the drive chamber are applications of plastics 2. Modern materials and technologies (approx. 20%) in which there are heavy working condi- The properties of plastics used in transport are generally tions. Thermoplastics and hardening plastics find broad the effect of modifications, including the addition of rein- 146 COMBUSTION ENGINES, 2017, 171(4) New technologies of enhanced plastic for use in rail vehicles to reduce noise emissions forcing agents. The resultant polymer material (granulate, load-bearing parts of vehicles, particularly PA66, rein- resin) is an inhomogeneous material composed of at least forced by up to 60 glass fibers. PA6 and PA66 with glass two phases: the matrix and the reinforcing agents embedded fibers (GF30,