Vehicle Body Materials: Aluminium alloys, Steel, alloy steels, plastics, Metal matrix

composites, structural timbers - properties, glass reinforced plastics and high strength
composites, thermoplastics, ABS and styrenes, load bearing plastics, semi rigid PUR foams and
sandwich panel construction. Paints adhesives and their properties, corrosion and their
prevention.

There are several materials used to make our cars which we can see, touch and feel. But there are
some which we do not see yet contribute significantly for the vehicle to function as intended by
the manufacturer. The main materials used for making cars and their parts are steel, aluminum,
magnesium, copper, plastics, composites, rubber, glass, fabric/leather and a few more. These
materials have been around for quite some time but have evolved greatly and diversely. For
example, we call the shell of the vehicle as BIW (body in white) and everyone would assume
steel or aluminum in the past, but now the naming BIW might imply the shell (as per automotive
jargon) be made using Carbon fiber.

The main factors for material selection, especially for the body include thermal, chemical, or
mechanical, environmental resistance, durability, ease of assembly and manufacturing.
Affordability is an important consideration in vehicle design, which includes factoring in the
costs associated with a car’s complete life cycle, including producing, running and scrapping
costs which are mostly controlled via regulations at least in Europe. The automotive sector is
constantly pushed by the governmental policies to reduce carbon emissions, improve the fuel
efficiency simultaneously increasing passenger and road user safety. One solution for the
manufacturer is to achieve this is via material selection and optimization. There are separate
departments under advanced research in every OEM, testing and suggesting new materials to be
used on the cars.

Less known to the outer world, there is a significant effort that goes into maintaining a database
of materials used by the manufacturer on each model and variant. This is because the ELV (End
of life) requirements govern the amount of recyclability and reuse of materials used. There is a
list maintained called “IMDS”, which almost all global OEMs, their suppliers use to consolidate
the materials used. This list is used to verify the compliance to local and international
regulations.

Let me put the materials into certain clusters for ease of explaining. It is important to understand
that there are differences of materials selected in different applications and segments, so I will be
referring to the cars that most of us use every day in this article.
Metals and Alloys

This cluster of materials form the major chunk of the overall vehicle weight and raw material
cost. Metals are time tested materials but have had major shift when it comes to improvement of
properties thanks to the alloys (adding a combination of different materials to a base metal). To
make it easy for the readers, I will start with a summary table before going to the details of each
material.
Steel:

It is the most common, go-to material for body structure and outer panel design due to its
strength, formability, well known process of welding and maintainability. It has a good life with
proper treatment and coatings. There are different types of steel in modern cars.

Sheet steel

The most used in previous generation for the most part of the body. Even here there are
classifications such as cold rolled and hot rolled low carbon steel with different thickness.
Typically, the thickness ranges between (0.6 to 2mm) for different parts ranging from roof,
bonnets, doors with lower thickness and load bearing structures like flanges and mounts with
higher thickness.

RRST 1405: strength 270–350 MPa, relative elongation @ 36%, thickness 0.6–0.9 mm

UST 1203, 1303: strength 270–410 MPa, relative elongation @ 28–32 %, thickness 0.6-0.9 mm

ST 4: strength 280–380 MPa, relative elongation @ 38 % thickness 1.5-2.5 mm

High strength steels

With the increased focus on safety, the application now requires more impact absorbing but
strong enough materials to withstand vehicle dynamic stresses. This makes the HSS/UHSS
options so viable since achieving similar performance using traditional materials will result in
increase in weight. This is due to their property of higher tensile/yield strength. But this comes
with a downside of increase in cost (up to 50% more expensive), not only because of the material
but also the process involved in manufacturing (typically HSS/UHSS requires special forming
process like hydroforming).

HSS: strength between 210 MPa and 550 MPa

UHSS: strength higher than 550MPa

StainlessSteel:

-
Yes, SS was used on door handles, even bumpers, exhaust tips, before the plastic parts with
chrome coating took away their usage. Currently only part which I could think off is the seatbelt
buckle.

Cast Iron:

I would say this is father of all automotive materials that was used to make almost every part in
older days. Its heavy, brittle and not so good for making lighter cars. Gradually got replaced with
steel and aluminum, but still used in some rare cases.
Aluminum:

It is lighter (by almost 40% to steel), corrosion resistant, malleable, easily machinable and has
good thermal/electrical conductivity. Also, the material can be used as load bearing when
extruded. Manufacturers started using aluminum for making lightweight yet stronger shells quite
recently for mainstream cars (I remember Audi explaining its space frame chassis during Iron
man movie release). The problem with aluminum other than cost is the joining process, it
required special welding process as it has very good electrical conductivity. Also, the NVH
engineers needed to revisit blackboard as the absorption properties were completely different to
that of steel.

Used in sheet and cast form for other applications than the BIW are:

Cast - suspension components, engine & transmission parts, alternator casings, flanges, starter
motor housing, heat sinks for electronics and a lot more.

Sheet – Heat exchangers (radiators), door panels and bonnets (specially for pedestrian safety).

In some rare cases, few OEMs are trying to use them to replace copper wiring on non-critical
components due to cost reasons – copper cladded aluminum wires. There are many more
aluminum alloys with even more applications which are not mentioned here.

Copper:

I would say the least looked upon material in automotive industry, but the most important
material when it comes to electrification. So, I am increasing the scope of my article for copper
and added certain interesting trends and details.

Before we start, did you know?

1. The body of the 1921 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost is completely copper.

2. The Tesla Roadster is also the first commercially available automobile powered by an electric
motor powered by a copper rotor.

3. In 1948, the average family car contained only about 55 wires amounting to an average total
length of 150 feet. Today's luxury cars, on average, contain some 2000 copper wires adding to
few kilometers in length.

4. Exxon added copper in their lubricants to make engines run smoother and last longer.

5. There are copper-carbon bushes and for dry lubrication applications.

Copper is in my view a superman of the material world; over the years its properties have made
copper to have a vital role in many of the applications. Some of the properties include, thermal
and electrical conductivity, corrosion resistance, malleable, lubricative, solderability, creep
resistance. There are many alloys of copper that is used in auto industry especially brass.

Mostly copper is seen as just an electrical application material where the main component is
wiring harness and connectors. Typically, in 2020 an ICE vehicle uses anywhere between 3 Kgs
to 6 Kgs of copper for wiring harness and adding more features means more wires and more
copper. But the use of copper can be optimized be selecting different grades. Electrolytic-tough
pitch is the most common type used in wiring. Oxygen free copper is also used in special
applications to reduce the resistance. Apart from wiring, it is also used in PCBs (Printed circuit
boards) and electronics, components like alternators and motors, brake lines (Copper-nickel),
alloys in gearbox components as coatings, new generation of radiators replacing aluminum.
Image Source: The Martech Group

With the increase in EV penetration the copper content used in vehicles will only be going up
and more research will be on making more cost effective and less resistance copper alloys.

Magnesium:

It is the lightest of all the metals that are currently used in automotive industry with density of
just 1.74 g/cm3, which translates to being 30% lighter than aluminum and 75% than the steel.
There are some complications in using magnesium and special design considerations are required
due to its drawbacks compared to aluminum when it comes to fatigue, ultimate tensile strength
but structural properties generally are comparable. It is used mainly on steering wheel core,
instrument panel structure, wheel rims and transfer case.

Lead:

Major chunk goes to battery and in older vehicles solders on PCBs and electronics. It is one of
the six most hazardous materials on which restrictions are imposed. Slowly this material will be
phased out due to advancement of the LI and other chemistry batteries and also the lead free
solder(already in use).

Gold:

Yes, there is gold in your car and it is not the same as you think where rose gold or white gold
panels are used on ostentatious cars. There are plating requirements for the connector terminals
and relays of safety critical ECUs and also some elements on PCBs where processors are
assembled.

Glass

Glass is used for windshields to protect passengers from the elements and potential flying objects.

Glass is used in many areas of your car. Obviously, its primary use is to create
windshields so you can see properly while remaining safe from any airborne objects. It's
also used to create rear and side-view mirrors to boost your view of what's around you
while driving. In addition, its cousin fiberglass is also commonly used in auto
manufacturing as an insulation material on cars.
However, as technology advances, glass is also being used to create more innovative
parts on cars. For example, it can be used to create navigation screens and lenses
for back-up cameras to allow drivers to have an even better view of what's behind them.

Plastics

Plastics commonly used in automotive manufacturing

Because plastics are lightweight and affordable, they’re an incredibly attractive option for
automotive manufacturers today. As fuel efficiency becomes an increasing concern for
consumers, any decrease in weight can translate directly into a boost in sales. What’s more,
plastics are corrosion-resistant, long-lasting, malleable, and offer greater design freedom than
metals.

The following plastics are among the most likely to be used in car manufacturing, though
polypropylene, polyurethane, and polyvinyl chloride are by far the three most commonly-used.

Polypropylene

By far the most common plastic in automobiles, polypropylene is a highly durable polymer
produced from propylene. Because of its durability and chemical resistance, polypropylene is
used in everything from bumpers to cable insulation to carpet fibers.

Polyurethane

Polyurethane, which can take on both soft and hard forms, is exceptionally resistant to solvents,
radiation, and environmental wear. Because of these qualities, polyurethane is well-suited for
numerous applications, including tires, suspension brushes, seating, and more.

Polyvinyl chloride

Polyvinyl chloride makes up approximately 16% of all plastic in a typical modern vehicle.
Boasting flexibility, heat resistance, and low lead content, polyvinyl chloride is well-suited for a
huge range of auto parts, particularly because it can also take on both soft or hard forms.

ABS

Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), a polymer of styrene and acrylonitrile, has a shiny, tough
exterior but very high durability and heat resistance. ABS is most typically used to produce
dashboards and wheel covers.

Nylon 6/6
 A general-use nylon, nylon 6/6 promises high wear resistance and can be used to make parts via
both molding and extrusion processes. It’s favored for its strength, low cost, and stability, and
it’s commonly found in weatherproof coatings.

Polycarbonate

Polycarbonate provides an exceptional combination of rigidity, hardness, and durability. Because

of these qualities, as well as its resistance to heat and weathering, polycarbonate is a go-to
material in the manufacturing of car bumpers.

Polyethylene

Offering high-impact resilience, low density, and durability, polyethylene is particularly suitable
for applications requiring moisture resistance at a relatively low price point. Typically,
polyethylene is used for glass-reinforced car bodies and electrical insulation.

Polyoxymethylene

Highly rigid and stable, polyoxymethylene is most often used to fabricate interior and exterior
trims, fuel system parts, and small gears. It’s notably resistant to cold, chemicals, and fuel.

Timber:
Before the introduction of plastics, timber was used in vehicle body construction, because it is
readily available, easily worked and economically competitive, so far as the smaller manufacturer.

GRP
GRP stands for Glass Reinforced Plastic or Glass Reinforced Polymer. It is a very versatile
material, which has a huge number of applications and uses. GRP is also often referred to as
fibreglass (fiberglass in the US) or glass fibre composite
GRP is made up of a combination of glass fibre and polymer or plastic.

It has many desirable properties which include:

 High strength to weight ratio

 Excellent durability
 Lightweight
 Electrically non-conductive
 Radar/radio wave transparent
 Non-corroding

Fiberglass is mainly used in the front and rear bumpers, hoods, doors, and casings. Another area
where this material is used is the timing belts and V-belts, where glass strings are impregnated
with rubber as reinforcement, due to the high tensile strength of the fiberglass
Semi rigid PUR (Polyurethane foams ) foams and sandwich panel construction

 This invention relates to a bus vehicle body construction with sandwich modular panel
 Body panels are sandwiched with light weight foam material and formed in a way that an
array of these modules can be joined together to form a monocoque type constructed
body for buses, trains or such similar vehicles.
 sandwich layer is manufactured by a physical process, in which the intermediate core
which are formed of aluminum foam, foamed ceramic, foamed plastic, said foamed
material are then embedded between the two metal layers. The core material which
forms the intermediate core can also be made from honeycombs of aluminum, paper
and plastic

Advantages:-

 Simple fabrication method

 Low labor cost
 Allow dynamic and fast manufacturing do not require welding
 Industrial waste is reduced
 Portable
 No need for external cladding or interior paneling which otherwise would add the weight
 Can be made from Aluminum sheets with a core of poly foams or honeycombs
 Totally modular structure, joint by screws, rivets, chemical lock or fitting systems