“Noryl” GTX resin from Sabic Innovative Plastics (Sabic IP, Bergen op Zoom / The Netherlands; www.sabic-ip.com) is being used to replace steel in the fenders of the XUV500 sports utility vehicle produced by Indian automotive manufacturer Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M, Mumbai; www.mahindra.com). The fenders were developed with support from OEM supplier Plastic Omnium (Levallois / France; www.plasticomnium.com) and are claimed to be India’s first injection moulded plastic fenders.

Sabic provided application development assistance in addition to the “Noryl” GTX resin, which helped meet the OEM’s specification for low weight, online painting capability and low-speed impact resistance.

“Noryl” GTX resin is a blend of PA and modified polyphenylene ether (mPPE), which combines the dimensional stability, low water absorption and outstanding heat resistance of mPPE with the chemical resistance and flow of PA. This results in a chemically resistant material with high stiffness, impact strength and heat performance required for online painting.