DuPont recently announced that it has received finalist and runner-up designations in the 2020 Altair Enlighten Award competition, an awards program in the automotive industry dedicated to vehicle lightweighting. DuPont BETASEAL™ X2500 structural adhesive was named a runner-up in the enabling technology category for an all-adhesively bonded, thermoplastic, and mixed-material liftgate. DuPont reports that the adhesive provides a means of joining low-surface-energy thermoplastics without the weight of additional mechanical fasteners, which enabled the modular lightweight assembly for a weight savings of 20-30% compared to traditional steel liftgate architectures.

DuPont BETAMATE™ 1640 crash-durable structural adhesive was named a finalist. The new epoxy-based crash-durable structural adhesive joins large substrates, allowing better load distribution. This ultimately enables reduced panel thickness and creates weight savings on the entire body structure (from 100-200 kg per vehicle, depending on model) while still meeting critical safety/crash requirements.

“DuPont adhesive technology has been a market leader for decades,” said Frank Billotto, marketing manager, Americas for DuPont Transportation and Industrial. “Constant innovation helps ensure that our enabling solutions benefit vehicle design not only for lighter weight but for safer, more durable, and fuel-efficient vehicles. We are proud of our achievements and are honored to accept this important recognition from Altair.”

For more information, visit www.dupont.com. Details regarding the Altair Enlighten Award are available at www.altair.com/enlighten-award.