Nylon Under the Hood:
A History of Innovation
By Eric Carlson, DuPont Automotive and Ken Nelson, DuPont Automotive
If the automotive industry had its own
periodic table, nylon 66 would be a key
element.
Thanks to its versatility, moldability and resistance to
high temperatures and harsh chemicals, PA 66 nylon is
the most used engineering thermoplastic in the automotive industry today. In the engine compartment, PA 66
nylon’s performance properties make it a rising star.
Since its discovery in 1939, nylon use in North
America has grown steadily as an automotive material.
In 1960, the average car used a total of 0.4 lb of nylon,
most of which avoided the harsh underhood environment. By 1995, the average car used 8.8 lb of nylon in
underhood applications alone. With annual vehicle
production at nearly 12 million cars, that’s more than
100 million pounds of nylon under the hood of 1995
model-year cars.
This rapid growth can be attributed to government
regulations requiring increases in fuel economy, the
need to reduce component costs and minimize overall
vehicle weight. These changes challenged creative
engineers and designers to toss convention aside and
expand the envelope of nylon properties to new limits.
For them it’s been an exciting journey.
In the Beginning
Wallace Hume Carothers, director of the DuPont
Experimental Station in Wilmington, Delaware,
discovered nylon, a polymer comprised of synthetic
fiber-forming polymeric amides with a protein-like
chemical structure derivable from coal, air and water.
It is characterized by extreme toughness, strength
and the unique ability to be formed into fibers and
various shapes.
Nylon debuted at the World’s Fair in 1939, and was
manufactured in a molding resin for industrial use
shortly thereafter. Experiments using nylon in selflubricating bearings for the automotive industry began
immediately.
Though development efforts were interrupted during
World War II, several quick and successful adoptions
immediately following the war deepened faith in the
material’s abilities to perform in tough automotive
applications.
The Transition
Most automotive applications of nylon from the late
1940s to the early 1960s focused on less critical
components such as valve stems, wiring clips, gears,
bearings, bushings, switch housings and windshield
wiper systems. Because automotive engineers were not
very familiar with plastics, they used
metals wherever possible. When nylon
was used, it was sporadic, in a model
here and a model there. It was seldom
used across all models, car lines and
OEMs.
The design freedom inherent in PA 66 nylon—already
accepted for retaining strength at high temperatures and
compatibility with engine fluids—allowed the changes
to be made while reducing overall costs.
By the 1980s, automotive engineers were beginning to
trust nylon in key applications. Nylon dominated fuel
efficiency and emission
control technology. Use of
nylon not only reduced
weight and cost, it also
enhanced the performance
of emission control
devices. Emission control
Under the hood, high temperatures and
valve seats and stems
pressures, along with the need for
could be integrated with
chemical resistance, made adoption of
the mold, eliminating
nylon in these areas move much more
secondary finish operaslowly. The introduction of high
tions. Designers also
performance mineral and glassfound benefits in being
Award-winning manifold used by Dodge and
reinforced versions of the PA 66
Plymouth Neon small cars uses Zytel® nylon.
able to incorporate fittings
nylon, changed everything. Experiand tubings for simplified
mental and early test programs in
“snap-fit”
assembly.
With
that
high level of trust
applications for radiators and fuel systems in the 1960s
established,
engineers
began
to
use nylon more consisdemonstrated nylon’s capability for resisting heat and
tently
across
all
models,
car
lines
and OEMs.
chemicals, paving the way for serious consideration in
underhood applications.
DuPont introduced glass as a reinforcement to PA 66
nylon in 1968 to improve its already impressive list of
properties. This performance enhancement led to
underhood innovations such as engine-cooling flex
fans; transmission thrust washers and spring guides;
and air cleaner support brackets. Even valve stem oil
deflectors, which were required to resist oil and temperatures as high as 320°F, were converted to nylon.
Engineers further tapped PA 66 nylon for mechanical,
pneumatic and electrical control systems, many of
which had to withstand temperatures reaching 300°F.
Key applications included throttle control cable end
fittings, lever retainers and “umbrellas;” downshift
cables and hood release cable jackets.
In the 1970s, government regulations required
automakers to install pollution-control devices, quickly
driving up demand for nylon 66. Engineers and designers turned to these proven materials for critical air and
fuel system pollution control components, many of
which would have been extremely costly and too
complex to manufacture in metal. Key applications
included charcoal canister housings and tubings; air
injector reactor seats, guides, valves and tubes; and
vacuum control, diverter, thermal delay and positive
crankshaft ventilation (PCV) valves.
The government also mandated increases in fuel
efficiency, which further challenged automotive
engineers to reduce the size and weight of vehicles,
their engine compartments and individual components.
2
Key developments also were pioneered in Europe,
where smaller cars, higher petroleum costs and emission control mandates drove innovation. Commercial
applications of plastics in air intake manifolds, brake
fluid and power steering fluid reservoirs, and radiator
end tanks and gas tank caps, date back to the early
1970s for major European automakers like BMW and
Peugeot.
Manifolds Take Shape
Noted for their ability to reduce weight and cost, while
boosting engine performance, thermoplastic use in
manifolds gained footholds in Europe as early as the
1970s and spread quickly in the late 1980s.
In the 1990s, General Motors, AC Rochester and
DuPont Automotive brought the first high volume
commercial air intake manifold to the U.S. market.
An exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) interface adapter,
gaskets, PCV valve and vacuum source are all
incorporated in the design, and the entire piece was
molded with DuPont™ Zytel® PA 66 resin.
The innovative EGR valve interface joint, which
reduced EGR temperatures to levels manageable by
nylon air intake manifolds, became something of a
landmark introduction for DuPont. It featured an
inverted bell system that isolated the EGR valve,
protecting the manifold from direct contact with the hot
exhaust gas until it mixes with cooler combustion air.
Without this innovation, plastic air intake manifolds
may not have been possible in many North American
applications.
The Dodge Neon’s 2 L single overhead cam engine
manifold of Zytel® nylon 66, weighing just 2.9 lb,
highlights the benefits the U.S. market has gained with
the adoption of nylon manifolds. In comparison, a
manifold in aluminum for Neon’s dual overhead cam
engine weighs 12 lb. The thermoplastic manifold also
is credited for a 2 percent horsepower boost.
Further, thermoplastic manifolds are credited with
reducing emissions and providing additional environmental benefits. An independent study by the Institute
for Plastics Testing at Stuttgart University in Germany
in 1992 confirmed that nylon air intake manifolds
significantly reduce carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide
emissions believed to contribute to global warming and
acid rain. Nylon air intake manifolds also lower fuel
consumption, and the EGR system improves engine
performance and hot-start performance. Finally, the
lower thermal conductivity of a plastic manifold
provides denser air for better engine performance.
More Than Cost and Weight Savings
Weight and cost savings quickly became a given in
switching from metals to plastics. Along the way,
many engineers found additional, surprising benefits
in nylon’s aesthetics, design adaptability, manufacturability and virtually unlimited options for creative parts
integration.
These benefits coincided with design challenges to
reduce vehicle size to improve fuel economy without
sacrificing performance. Supercharging and
turbocharging in the late 1980s and 1990s, which
improved performance in small engine compartments,
created logistical challenges. Like a 3-dimensional
puzzle, the pieces of the engine had to be scrambled
and reordered. Here, the flexibility of nylon proved a
problem solver. From air resonators and fuel tanks with
Salvadore Dali-like shapes, to sensitive electrical and
electronic applications that had to be tucked or hung in
hot or exposed areas, plastics led breakthroughs. Some
credit the non-conductive, corrosion and chemical
resistance of nylons with enabling engineers to make
such advances in vehicle design.
Thermoplastic materials are also finding a home in
engine rocker arm covers. After years of trial, the
1990s brought several successes, and some surprising
benefits. In addition to weight and cost savings, Rover
in 1992 touted sound damping capabilities using Zytel®
nylon 66 resin.
The Denouement
The undisputed benefits of using nylon 66 in
underhood applications led many industry experts to
predict that at least 80 percent of air intake manifold
production would be nylon by the end of the century.
New molding facilities confirm that the industry has
moved in that direction.
Development programs incorporating fuel rails and
other intake components are underway. For many, it’s
simply a matter of time before nylon weaves it way
into more underhood applications.
One imminent program involves greater use of hightemperature resistant thermoplastics to protect sensitive
electrical/electronic equipment from hotter running
engines and corrosive fluids. In 1994, DuPont introduced Zytel® HTN high temperature nylon for this
burgeoning market. Still in its infancy, target applications include water pump outlets, seal retainers, transmission valves and covers, rocker arm covers, as well
as sensors, relays, switches, gears and bobbins.
Keeping its eye on the future, in 1995 DuPont captured
the industry’s attention with a heat exchanger made of
Zytel® PA 66, showing the material’s versatility in
another traditionally metal application.
But most industry analysts credit nylon’s projected
high growth to increases in the air intake manifold
commercialization. Noted industry analyst Jim Best
predicted the average car will use 11.06 lb of nylon
in underhood applications in 2000 and 14.4 lb in
underhood applications by 2005. Nylon’s growth in the
engine compartment has come a long way since the
days when skeptics doubted its performance under the
hood—and based on industry projections, nylon has a
long period of growth ahead.
DuPont™ Minlon® mineral-reinforced nylon boosted performance
while cutting costs of this new rocker cover for Ford developed by
Bruss Sealing Systems, Germany. Minlon® proved to be the perfect
material choice with its high level of creep resistance and the
ability to withstand typical oil temperatures in the underhood
environment. Bruss Sealing Systems also chose Minlon® instead of
thermosets because of its superior resistance to microcracks.
3
Nylon Development Timeline
1939
■ Wallace Hume Carothers, director of the DuPont Experimental Station in Wilmington, Delaware, discovers a method of
creating fibers whose structures resemble natural polymers. His
discovery results in the production of the first synthetic fiber—
nylon.
1941
■ Nylon resin is offered; experiments using nylon in selflubricating bearings begin.
1947
■ Molded nylon speedometer gears are introduced; nylon
fabrics are used to upholster 1948 model automobiles.
1948
■ First large commercial plant to manufacture nylon resin
gets underway at Parkersburg, WV. Two years later it will be
expanded to meet demand.
1954
■ Trademark Zytel® is adopted for DuPont nylon resin.
1955
■ Heavy-duty truck and bus pneumatic windshield-wiper
motors debut featuring nylon in rack and pinion, sliding valve
parts and moving shafts.
1956
■ First automotive radiator fan made of plastic is introduced by
Citroen. This application also marks the first use of plastics for
thread-forming screws.
DuPont Engineering Polymers collaborated
closely with DENSO Corp. to demonstrate
the viability of closed-loop, composite
recycling for nylon. The proof is this
prototype radiator end tank made of
100 percent recycled nylon from a post
consumer end tank.
4
■ A new center-link socket with a bushing of
nylon helps create a greased-for-life steering
linkage.
1957
■ Nylon resin is selected for air brake and air
suspension system valve seats, inlet and exhaust
valves, exhaust stem in the compressor governor
and main cam for the positioning valve. A
leveling valve contains wear and positioning
rings of nylon and sintered nylon.
1958
1959
■ Ball bearing retainers made of nylon
replace metal retainers, effectively
reducing the high premature failure
rates associated with metal retainers.
■ The resistance of nylon to hydrolysis, chemicals and heat opens a new
realm of opportunities in thermostat
housings, valve components, inlet
assemblies, radiator end caps and
overflow tubing.
■ Initial vehicle testing using plumbing of nylon shows promising results:
21,000 miles of normal driving on a
1958 vehicle returned completely
satisfactory results.
The upper air intake manifold for the Ford Windstar’s
3.8-liter V-6 engine is injection molded from Zytel®
nylon 66 resin.
■ An air-suspension vehicle featuring nylon hits the test circuit.
1960
■ The average car uses 0.4 lb of nylon, less than one percent of
total plastics use.
■ Patented “Pushlock” self-fastening system of nylon, designed
by Whitso Inc. of Schiller Park, IL, replaces metal fastening
system of threads, nuts and locking washers while providing
exceptional holding power for automotive tubes and hoses.
Pushlock, a forerunner of “snap-fit,” greatly simplifies assembly,
especially in hard-to-reach spots and blind spots.
1963
■ Nylon turns 25 years old with 45 resin formulations in the
marketplace. Automotive applications include wiring clips, lamp
sockets, gears, bearings, bushings, lamp lenses, switch housings,
tubing, timing sprockets, cams and linkages, fasteners, coil forms
and windshield wiper motors.
1964
■ A major truckmaker selects a one-piece fuel filler neck
assembly made of nylon, substantially reducing cost compared to
steel, while absorbing vibration between the body-mounted fuel
tank and fuel neck projecting through the body panel.
■ Nylon finds new applications in a “speedguard” passenger
car cruise control system, with both cruise control and a speed
warning system. Operating on the engine intake manifold
vacuum, the new device tapped nylon for 13 different components, greatly reducing weight and cost through parts integration.
1968
■ DuPont introduces glass-reinforced Zytel® 66 nylon—adding
a whole new dimension of performance capabilities to the nylon
family.
1970
■ The average car uses 2.0 lb of nylon.
5
Air intake manifolds made from DuPont™
Zytel® nylon resin make a major contribution to high performance and smooth, quiet
operation of the sporty Porsche Boxster.
Twin manifolds are used to supply air to a
2.5 L, six-cylinder engine with two horizontally opposed banks of cylinder heads.
■ A DuPont engineer designs and constructs a
vibration welding device to produce a structurally sound weld in PA 66 nylon. The vibration
welding technique is used experimentally to
assemble a nylon canister that could not be
ultrasonically welded. An emissions canister, the
first component to undergo this technique,
goes commercial in 1973.
1971
■ The first automotive fan with flexible blades
for engine cooling debuts with glass-reinforced
nylon, improving performance and worker
safety. Replacing steel, the component weighed
60 percent less and applied 50 percent less
vertical stress on the water pump bearing at
5,200 rpm. The material maintains excellent
flexural strength and creep resistance under
humid conditions, while providing outstanding
resistance to gasoline, oil, battery acid and road
salts.
1972
■ This was the beginning of the end of the
annual ritual of flushing out the radiator. Metal
end tanks tended to corrode, thereby requiring
frequent flushing to eliminate corrosion build-up. Because nylon
does not rust, this annual service is now unnecessary and saves
the environment. It is now typical for coolant to last the life of
the car, eliminating frequent waste handling issues. In addition,
nylon radiator end tanks can be recycled at the end of vehicle
life; thereby saving the environment twice.
■ Porsche adopts a reinforced PA 66 nylon air intake manifold
in its fuel injection system.
1973
■ PA 66 nylon improves flexibility and toughness of wire
harnesses as underhood electronics takes off.
1974
■ Recent government imposed safety and pollution regulations
spark plastics growth, and heat-stabilized glass-reinforced nylon
66 resin debuts in underhood delay-valve applications.
■ Automakers begin using molded-in-color nylon in components to eliminate confusion and possible misalignment during
installation.
1976
6
■ Heat-stabilized PA 66 resin is used by Ford in fuel vapor
emission control canisters, sealing lids and integral mounting
tabs and hooks. The nylon material reduces weight and offers
improved resistance to chemicals and salt-spray corrosion
compared to steel.
The air intake manifold for Rover K-series fuelinjected auto engines consists of four injection
molded parts joined together by vibration
welding. The parts are molded from DuPont™
Zytel® PA 66 nylon resin. The complexity and
curvature of these parts put this manifold
assembly at the leading edge of vibration
welding technology.
1977
■ An air management valve demonstrates
the ability of engineering plastics to
withstand underhood environmental
conditions. The emission control unit
relied on at least seven separate joining
methods, including the first commercial
use of an induction welding process that
employs a permanent aluminum screen
interface.
1978
■ Ford uses glass-reinforced PA 66 instead of metal in power
steering reservoirs, reducing weight and cost, while eliminating
rejects related to leaking. Units molded in nylon have integral
baffles, filler necks, air bleed slots and consistent dimensional
reproducibility. Chemical and corrosion resistance assures the
long life of the reservoir.
■ Chevrolet Vega features the energy-saving flex fan of nylon
66, in which centrifugal force causes nylon blades to twist and
reduce resistance.
1979
■ PA 66 nylon replaces stamped sheet steel in transmission oil
screens. One application is an integral intake tube; another
increases oil handling capacity, to reduce weight, cut cost and
improve seals essential for hotter running engines.
■ Ford uses glass-reinforced nylon radiator fans on the new
Fairmont and Zephyr. Although these benefits in themselves
merited a switch from steel to nylon, the true driver was safety.
Nylon fans were safer than steel due to steel’s tendency to rust
over time. Constant fatigue could cause rusted steel fans to break
apart, which occasionally happened when an engine was in
service, injuring the mechanic. Because nylon did not rust, a new
benefit to nylon use under hood was born—safety.
■ Stant Manufacturing Co. uses Zytel® ST (Super Tough)
PA 66 nylon resin for a snap-together gas cap and retaining ring.
The product enhances durability and automated assembly. The
material resists gasoline, moisture, road salt and condensation
deposits.
7
1979
■ Chrysler Corp. is the first automaker to adopt glass-reinforced
nylon in brake cylinder reservoirs. The material’s chemical
resistance at high underhood temperatures makes it a natural to
replace cast iron, thereby reducing weight and cost, improving fit
and optimizing assembly time.
■ A European fluid-level detector of nylon 66 is designed into
brake fluid reservoirs. The component is molded in white and
thinned at the “fill” point (from 5.1 mm to 0.76 mm) so a translucent window is achieved.
■ The fuel-injected Peugeot 505 bows with an air intake
manifold intake plenum vibration welded of PA 66.
1980
■ This time period signals the change in Europe from carburetor-equipped vehicles to electronic fuel injection, opening up
design opportunities, especially in air cleaners. Horizontal fuel
injection inlets allow the air cleaner to be mounted anywhere, as
long as hoses lead to the inlet. The shapes required to fit into
these “anywhere” spaces would be prohibitively expensive in
metal. Using glass-reinforced nylon 66 reduces weight, eliminates welding and assembly and reduces tooling costs.
■ The average car uses 3.25 lb of nylon.
1982
■ A new shift control cable, shielded by nylon 66 and capped
with end fittings of glass-reinforced nylon, helps reduce noise
and vibration in new front-wheel drive vehicles with lightweight
bodies. Nylon allows the component to be redesigned with an
encapsulated rubber damper to stop noise and vibration, and
reduces weight 50 percent. This application paves the way for
uses in transmission shift cables, brake cables, hood-release and
door-release cables.
■ Jaguar designs a one-piece 11-blade cooling fan for its V-12
engine with Zytel® Super Tough nylon.
1983
■ Ford replaces steel and cast iron in a hydraulic clutch actuator
with Zytel® nylon 66. The master cylinder, cap for integral
reservoir and slave cylinder are produced in nylon. These
lightweight, easily handed plastic components are shipped
prefilled and tested, improving reliability and reducing cost
through more efficient assembly. By 1992, the all-plastics
hydraulic clutch actuating system replaces metal assemblies.
General Motors adopts glass-reinforced nylon radiator end caps
for all models.
8
Working together as partners, Ford, Siemens
and DuPont developed the first thermoplastic
air intake manifold in Europe that incorporates an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR)
system using lost-core molding. The EGR
reduces hydrocarbon emissions by allowing a
percentage of the exhaust gas to be returned to
the manifold.
The manifold of DuPont™ Zytel® nylon 66 is
featured on select Ford engines, including the
1.6 L Zeta engine.
1989
■ Substituting nylon for steel in powersteering reservoirs reduces assembly
time and improves reliability by eliminating leaks associated with machining
and welding. The three-part reservoir is
molded in one piece with a one-piece
dipstick of nylon 66 twist locked into
the cover.
1984
■ The U.S. market follows Europe in
its move from carburetors to fuel
injection, broadening nylon applications
in this region.
1985
■ Nissan commercializes a valve cover
in DuPont™ Minlon® mineral-reinforced
nylon.
■ Ford adopts glass-reinforced nylon
radiator end caps on all new platforms,
starting with the Escort, Tempo/Topaz
and Taurus/Sable.
1986
■ A low-pressure surge tank for a diesel truck engine radiator
coolant system portends the domination of plastic over steel in
this application. The support brackets and tank are molded using
PA 66 nylon.
■ Rover introduces its K-series engine (Rover 200 and 400
models) with the first high-volume thermoplastic throttle body
using Zytel® PA 66. The new design reduces throttle-body
components, eliminates matching, finishing and assembly
operations, reduces weight 40 percent and slashes product cost
to approximately 65 percent of the current aluminum design.
■ Supercharging and turbocharging engines to maximize
horsepower are identified as sources of engine “singing.” An air
resonator blow molded of nylon 66 quiets noises in the Taurus
and puts to rest any notion that crystalline thermoplastics can’t
be blow molded. DuPont predicts the zip tube, air resonator and
air cleaner will be the next modular component for automotive
assembly.
■ Upgrading Chrysler truck transmissions from three to four
speeds is made more economical by using a single housing
instead of two, using PA 66 in the bearing separators and
housing.
■ Nylon fans and shrouds are now used on virtually all vehicles.
1990
■ Power steering inlet adapters of Zytel® nylon 66 molded by
the lost-core process, wins the Society of Plastics Engineers
(SPE) Most Innovative Use of Plastics award.
■ The average car uses 6.9 lb of nylon in underhood applications, more than twice the amount a decade before.
9
1991
■ General Motors reduces noise, vibration and harshness by
using Minlon mineral-reinforced nylon in engine timing belt
covers.
■ DuPont announces a program to reclaim radiator end caps
made of PA 66 nylon.
■ Rover selects PA 66 for engine rocker arm covers on the
Metro and 200 Series vehicles. Replacing die-cast metal reduces
weight and expands design freedom, allowing the component to
be made smaller and fit into the more complex underhood
layouts.
1992
■ Volkswagen uses nylon 66 for the Transporter radiator fan
shrouds. The material’s ability to withstand vibration, mechanical stress and exposure to fuel and engine fluids made it an
excellent selection.
■ An all-plastic clutch actuation system for the 1990 Saturn and
1991 GM trucks wins the Society of Plastics Engineers top
award in the powertrain category. Produced from glass-reinforced nylon 66, the design carries numerous patents and meets
stringent Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS)
molding requirements.
■ Ford of England abandons aluminum and thermosets in favor
of thermoplastics for intake manifolds.
■ The first commercial high-volume thermoplastic air intake
manifold in the U.S. debuts on the GM 3800 tuned port injection
V-6 engine. The application garners accolades and the Society of
Plastics Engineers “Most Innovative Use of Plastics” award in
the powertrain category. The design integrates the exhaust gas
recirculation (EGR) interface adapter, gaskets, and positive
crankcase ventilation valve into the manifold vacuum source.
■ Europe’s first nylon air intake manifold with an EGR valve molded by a
fusible core process debuts on Ford’s
1.6 L Zeta engine for the Escort and
Mondeo. Later, this technology travels
to the U.S. for the Mercury Mystique and
Ford Contour.
■ DuPont breaks ground on a nylon 66
plant in Singapore to meet worldwide
demand.
The Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) mechanism
on the 2000 Ford Transit Van enhances overall
engine performance by reducing vehicle emissions, improving fuel economy and integrating
cruise control. The ETC, also known as drive-bywire, was developed and produced by Teleflex
Automotive Group, Inc. using DuPont™ Zytel®
33 percent glass reinforced nylon 66 resin.
10
■ North America’s first lost core air
intake manifold to incorporate an EGR
valve debuts on the Dodge and Plymouth
Neon, garnering the Society of Plastics
Engineers “Most Innovative Use of
Plastics” award in the powertrain
category.
1993
1993
■ An independent study by the Institute for Plastics Testing at
Stuttgart University, Germany, shows glass-reinforced Zytel®
nylon 66 offers lower energy consumption, manufacturing
emissions and weight than aluminum for Ford of Europe’s
Escort and Mondeo 1.6 L engine manifolds. The study analyzed
energy and raw material consumption throughout the part’s
lifecycle.
■ DuPont™ Minlon® mineral-reinforced nylon is used for a oneounce filter carrier plate between the shift manifold and shifter
valve body, to protect shift solenoids and maintain a seal. This
critical Chrysler LH transmission component requires the nylon
to perform the unusual task of taking bolt load.
■ Nearly 90 percent of all U.S. made passenger vehicles use
glass-reinforced PA 66 nylon for radiator end caps.
1994
■ The Porsche 911 Carerra features four valve covers of nylon
66—Porsche’s first thermoplastic valve cover.
■ European automakers using Zytel® nylon resin in air intake
manifolds now include Peugeot, Citroen, BMW, Mercedes and
Ford of Europe.
■ The all-new Ford Mustang’s conical-shaped air cleaner uses
both glass-reinforced nylon 66 and mineral-reinforced nylon to
reduce induction noise 30 percent, add 10 horsepower and
reduce space needed for the component.
■ Space restrictions on a Ford transmission spur the development of nylon use in an oil pickup tube to be incorporated into
the filter case bottom.
■ DuPont introduces Zytel® HTN high temperature nylon for
high temperature, high pressure underhood and electrical/
electronic applications.
1995
■ The average car uses 8.8 lb of nylon in underhood
applications.
■ Fuel-injector pods, designed using the DuPont Snap-Fit
Design System and molded of Zytel® heat-stabilized nylon, help
GM improve fuel injection system performance, decrease part
count and reduce cost on the Oldsmobile Aurora 4.0 L engine.
The blend of materials and Snap-Fit design creates the industry’s
most intricate pods, allowing precise fuel spray on each
cylinder’s intake valve.
11
■ GM’s Quad 4 engine features
a water-outlet housing of glassreinforced PA 66 nylon that
reduces weight 66 percent and
cost 75 percent compared with
aluminum.
■ The Nissan Sentra debuts
with the only current thermoplastic valve cover for the
U.S. market, using mineralreinforced nylon. The new valve
cover weighs half its aluminum
counterpart and is assembled in
less time.
■ GM’s new 3800 Series II V-6 engine features the first thermoplastic oil pan gasket with an integrated windage tray molded
of nylon 66. The one-piece windage tray, with a molded-in
gasket, improves sealing and durability, reduces assembly time
and withstands ever-increasing engine demands.
■ DuPont announces it will double Zytel® nylon 66 capacity in
North American capacity by 1998 to meet increasing demand,
particularly in underhood components.
■ DuPont stretches the imagination with a prototype heat
exchanger made of Zytel® nylon resin. The component debuts at
the SAE International Congress & Exposition, and wins “Best of
Show” from Automotive News.
1996
■ The first single-core, eight runner V-8 air intake manifold of
Zytel® nylon 66 debuts on the Mustang 4.6 L engine. The
manifold program is so successful, car lines are quickly extended
to the Ford Thunderbird and Mercury Cougar, Ford Crown
Victoria and Mercury Marquis and Lincoln Town Car, making
it the world’s largest production volume air intake manifold of
PA 66 nylon.
■ Worldwide automotive industry demand for nylon
is expected to double over the next five years from 2 billion
pounds to 4 billion annually. North American nylon consumption is about 212 million pounds annually, making nylon the
highest volume automotive engineering plastic. North American
automotive consumption of PA 66 is expected to grow by as
much as 100 million pounds by the year 2000.
2000
■ The average car uses 11.06 lb of nylon in underhood
applications alone, nearly 30 times the amount used in the entire
car in 1960.
Copyright © 2003 E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company. All rights reserved.
The DuPont oval logo, DuPont™, The miracles of science®, Minlon® and Zytel®
are trademarks or registered trademarks of DuPont.
1995