At this year's VDI-K conference and exhibition "Plastics in Automotive Engineering," which takes place in Mannheim, Germany on March 9 - 10th, Dow Automotive will premiere CBT® (cyclic form of butylene terephthalate) resin solutions for lightweight, durable transportation applications. This breakthrough material from Dow Automotive will dramatically improve material performance in two major areas:

• Structural composite applications
   
• Exterior applications

Regarding structural composites, the ultra-low viscosity achieved during the CBT processing provides excellent wetting and dispersion in fibrous fillers or other reinforcements. CBT provides a unique stiffness/toughness balance in the end product that makes it the ideal material for a wide range of compression-moulded or liquid-moulded semi-structural and structural composite applications including, but not limited to : underfloor shields, boot floor, bumper beams, side impact beams, load floor and fire wall.

Reduced curing time, low-pressure isothermal processing, no VOC emissions and the thermoplastic-like recyclability contribute to make CBT an ideal solution for large-scale use in the automotive industry.

With respect to exterior applications, CBT also provides significant advantages that make it an attractive alternative to steel in vertical body panel applications. Injection moulded CBT meets the market requirement for on-line (E-coat capable) Class A thermoplastic body panels. The material's properties include high thermal load resistance (> 200°C,) toughness, stiffness, conductivity, lack of moisture growth or moisture-related paint quality issues and low linear thermal expansion rate.

Dow Automotive is a leading supplier of plastics, adhesives, sealants and other plastics-enhanced products for interior, exterior, under-the-hood, vehicle body structure and acoustical management applications. The organization serves global tier, OEM and aftermarket customers. With offices and application development centres around the world, Dow Automotive provides materials science expertise and comprehensive technical capabilities to its customers worldwide. For additional information about Dow Automotive products and services, visit www.dowautomotive.com. Dow Automotive is a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company.

®Trademark of The Cyclics Corporation