Aging of glass fiber reinforced nylon 6,6 automobile underhood parts

Parts used under the hood of automobiles are increasingly made from polymeric materials. These parts are often exposed to relatively high temperatures and corrosive chemicals, exposure conditions that can affect their long-term performance. This paper provides quantitative information on the combined effect of high temperatures and corrosive chemicals on the long-term performance of glass fiber reinforced nylon 6,6 parts. Glass fiber reinforced nylon 6,6 is one of the more widely used polymers in underhood applications. Parts made from this material include radiator headers, oil caps, and, more recently, intake manifolds. In this project the in-service environmental conditions imposed on an oil cap and radiator were monitored, and the exposed parts examined by dynamic mechanical analysis. Data taken from the exposed parts were compared to comparably laboratory aged samples. The basic finding was that glass fiber reinforced nylon 6,6 parts should have an excellent survival rate in the parts investigated.