Automotive OEMs have been seeking to save painting costs by using PP interior compounds with improved scratch resistance for quite some time. New blends with nano clay at 5% level could provide a viable answer. A recently developed PP/PS blend- Elan XP 515 compound, is expected to substitute painted ABS in automotive interior applications due to its superior scratch resistance.

The first mass-produced part to use the new Elan XP 515 compound is a foot well heater vent for various Volkswagen and Audi models. Both the companies are developing car seating trim applications and are expected to commercialize by mid-2005.
The compound uses 5% of a Süd-Chemie Nanofil SE 3000 modified nanoclay additive to aid dispersion of 15%-25% of the PS into the PP. It has a uniformly matte surface and high scratch resistance. The mass coloured compound offers cost savings over painted ABS parts in volume production. Putsch offers three ready-coloured, UV and heat stabilized PP/PS blend grades that can be injection moulded with processing parameters similar to those for unfilled or mineral-filled PP.
(Developed by well-known nanoclay producer Süd-Chemie along with German compounder Putsch Kunststoffe)