Transportation
Applications
Innovative Composites with Infinite Possibilities for Transportation
Increasingly, today’s transportation and logistics industries are demanding materials that are lightweight, readily available, and highly reliable. Alpine offers pioneering solutions for any transportation application where extreme lightweighting and on-demand production is crucial, delivering custom-engineered parts and components to meet any challenge. From cargo to high-performance vehicles, Alpine’s thermoplastic nanocomposites exceed the most rigorous demands.
Transportation
Applications
Innovative Composites with Infinite Possibilities for Transportation and High-Performance Automotive
Increasingly, today’s transportation and logistics industries are demanding materials that are lightweight, readily available, and highly reliable. Alpine offers pioneering solutions for any transportation application where extreme lightweighting and on-demand production is crucial, delivering custom-engineered parts and components to meet any challenge. From cargo to high-performance vehicles, Alpine’s thermoplastic nanocomposites exceed the most rigorous demands.
A vast improvement over aluminum and steel
Alpine’s HX5 is lighter, more robust and more adaptable for manufacturing than metal.
A vast improvement over aluminum and steel
Alpine’s HX5 is lighter, more robust and more adaptable for manufacturing than metal.
HX5™
Benefits
Analysis of HX5 usage demonstrates significant weight reduction, performance improvements, and speed-to-market advantages for a wide range of transportation and logistics applications.
Proven in the most
Rigorous
mechanical, physical and environmental tests
50%
lighter than
aluminum and
80%
lighter than steel
50%
lighter than aluminum and
80%
lighter than steel
Proven in the most
Rigorous
mechanical, physical and environmental tests
Outperforms
aluminum components with extraordinary resistance to wear, temperature and corrosion
Outperforms
aluminum components with extraordinary resistance to wear, temperature and corrosion
Production
time is reduced from
months to days
Production
time is reduced from
months to days
Significantly
Faster
to manufacture than machined aluminum
Significantly
Faster
to manufacture than machined aluminum
HX5™
Unprecedented flexibility for a wide variety of uses
Thanks to its unique structure and physical properties, HX5 offers
incredible versatility in all types of manufacturing.
Drop-in material for many injection molding operations
Part assemblies can be consolidated into a single molded component
Metallic insert molding for multifunction products
Low shrinkage gives excellent dimensional stability
One formulation is compatible with numerous operations, including profile extrusion, compression molding, and thermoforming
Processes like metal, without the disadvantages
Machines like aluminum without chipping, cracking, galling or gumming
Taps and threads like metal
Can be coated, primed, painted and adhesively bonded
Can be metalized to meet EMI shielding requirements
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
HX5 has 90% the strength AND near 50% the density of 6061 T6 aluminum
| Mechanical Properties | ASTM | HX5 (73˚F) | 6061 T6 (73˚F) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tensile Strength, (Ksi) | D638 | 38.2 | 40 |
| Density, (lbs./ft3) | D792 | 89 | 169 |
| Specific Strength, (lb/in2)/(lb/in3) | 741,700 | 410,300 |
THERMAL PROPERTIES
HX5 is dimensionally stable at elevated temperatures
| Thermal Properties | ASTM | HX5 | 6061 T6 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coefficient of Thermal Expansion, (L/L/°F) | E 831 | 2.11 X 10-6 | 13.1 X 10-6 |
ENVIRONMENTAL STABILITY
HX5 is engineered to survive
- Meets rigorous DoD guidelines for flame, smoke, and toxicity
Extremely resistant to solvents, fuels, lubricants, and chemicals
Satisfies NASA spacecraft limits on outgassing and radiation resistance stability (doesn’t degrade in space)
High temperature capable
Passed accelerated lifetime thermal cycling and high-temperature thermal stability
Galvanic corrosion resistant
MANUFACTURABILITY
Engineered to be versatile
- Drop-in material for many injection molding operations
Low shrinkage and excellent dimensional stability (0.5% vs. 2.0%)
Enables part consolidation into a single molded component
Compatible with metallic insert molding operations for multifunction products
One material formulation compatible with many manufacturing operations:
- Injection molding
- Profile extrusion
- Compression molding
- Thermoforming
SECONDARY OPERATIONS
HX5 is engineered to process like a metal
Machines like aluminum without chipping, cracking, galling or gumming
Taps and threads like metal
Unlike most solvent resistant materials, can be coated, primed, painted and adhesively bonded
Can be metallized to meet EMI shielding requirements
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
HX5 has 90% the strength AND 50% the weight of 6061 T6 aluminum
| Mechanical Properties | ASTM | HX5 (73˚F) | 6061 T6 (73˚F) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tensile Strength, (Ksi) | D638 | 38.2 | 40 |
| Density, (lbs./ft3) | D792 | 89 | 169 |
| Specific Strength, (in) | 741,700 | 410,300 |
THERMAL PROPERTIES
HX5 is dimensionally stable at elevated temperatures
| Thermal Properties | ASTM | HX5 | 6061 T6 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coefficient of Thermal Expansion, (L/L/°F) | E 831 | 2.11 X 10-6 | 13.1 X 10-6 |
ENVIRONMENTAL STABILITY
HX5 is engineered to survive
- Meets rigorous DoD guidelines for flame, smoke, and toxicity
Extremely resistant to solvents, fuels, lubricants, and chemicals
Satisfies NASA spacecraft limits on outgassing and radiation resistance stability (doesn’t degrade in space)
High temperature capable
Passed accelerated lifetime thermal cycling and high-temperature thermal stability
Galvanic corrosion resistant
MANUFACTURABILITY
Engineered to be versatile
- Drop-in material for many injection molding operations
Low shrinkage and excellent dimensional stability (0.5% vs. 2.0%)
Enables part consolidation into a single molded component
Compatible with metallic insert molding operations for multifunction products
One material formulation compatible with many manufacturing operations:
- Injection molding
- Profile extrusion
- Compression molding
- Thermoforming
SECONDARY OPERATIONS
HX5 is engineered to process like a metal
Machines like aluminum without chipping, cracking, galling or gumming
Taps and threads like metal
Unlike most solvent resistant materials, can be coated, primed, painted and adhesively bonded
Can be metallized to meet EMI shielding requirements
HX5: Case Studies
Missile Bracket
Significant product cycle time reduction (min/part)
No post-processing or chemical surface
Simplification of supply chain
Testimonials
I’ve been searching for new materials to advance our innovative concepts in the aerospace interiors market for some time. HX5 allows us to create cutting edge lightweight designs that are a game changer for the industry.
We are bringing revolutionary technology to the commercial sector that will significantly address the greenhouse gas concerns encountered by the aerospace industry. Our target is to reduce carbon emissions of a commercial single-aisle passenger plane by over 600,000 lbs. per year.
It’s great to see this special innovation that was purpose-built for Lockheed military programs become available for light-weighting programs across many industries. I can see broad application potential not only in commercial aerospace and rotorcraft but also in general transportation, energy and in the broader defense market.
HX5: Case Studies
Missile Bracket
Significant product cycle time reduction (min/part)
No post-processing or chemical surface
Simplification of supply chain
Testimonials
I’ve been searching for new materials to advance our innovative concepts in the aerospace interiors market for some time. HX5 allows us to create cutting edge lightweight designs that are a game changer for the industry.
We are bringing revolutionary technology to the commercial sector that will significantly address the greenhouse gas concerns encountered by the aerospace industry. Our target is to reduce carbon emissions of a commercial single-aisle passenger plane by over 600,000 lbs. per year.