New plastic promises paintless car bodiesNew plastic promises paintless car bodies

New York -There's a new plastic in town. GE Plastics recently announced that it has developed a new polymer for use in components needing a high-gloss finish, long-term weatherability, and scratch resistance.

Called "W-4" for now, this developmental polymer will initially be targeted at automotive fascias, body panels, tonneau covers, and other exterior components. According to Mike Brown, the company's general manager for marketing, the material offers the opportunity for paintless automotive finishes-a goal he describes as "the Holy Grail of the automotive world."

The first likely use for W-4 will be on DaimlerChrysler's SmartCar, which debuted last year with molded-in-color body panels made from GE's Xenoy PC/PBT and a hard coat for scratch resistance. Brown reports that other automakers will also evaluate the material. Beyond the automotive world, the material could also see use in lawn-and-garden, agricultural, and appliance applications. "There's a long list of applications with stringent gloss and UV requirements," Brown notes. As for W-4's other properties, "it has a good heat deformation temperature and an impact strength similar to polycarbonate," he adds.

And what, exactly, is W-4? For now, GE Plastics won't reveal its chemical nature. The company's vice president and general manager for the Americas, Nani Beccalli, would say only that the material does represent an entirely new amorphous polymer and not an alloy of existing materials. He adds that GE plans to release more information about the new polymer as soon as the company has wrapped up its patent applications.

The first commercial offerings, slated for late 2000, will be as a film or cap layer-as part of a weatherable resin system. Injection molding grades will follow later, and Beccalli expects the material to be fully commercialized by 2002.