As you turn your car key, comfortably resting on an expanded polyurethane seat, covered with a beautiful and strong polyester fabric, you are starting the result of years and years of technological research, in which Chemistry had a major share of the success.

Polymeric amines, polyalkylene glycol and polyolefin ester added to gasoline, clean the carburetor or the injectors and inhibit corrosion. Now that the engine is on, take off for one more day of leisure or work. Maybe it is difficult to notice that the styrene-butadiene rubber of your tires guarantees the smooth riding of your car. Oops…a puddle of muddy water! Don’t worry. Your car has received the anticorrosion chemical treatment to avoid those points of rust that damage the attractive color of your car, which, of course, was obtained thanks to pigments and solvents which are part of the specially formulated paints for the car manufacturers. Oh, yeah, you are right, we should take better care of the environment. That’s why your car has a chemical catalytic system to reduce the emission of pollutants in the exhaust gas.

Be careful, the traffic light turned red. The brake fluid, a chemical compound that has among its components borated polyglycols and additives, guarantees stopping. This fluid hydraulically activates the braking system components. Without it, it would be metal on metal. Can you imagine the noise and the wear? Relax. May be you wish to turn on the radio, fixed in the polyurethane pre-molded panel with an ABS coating, polypropylene or any other of the innumerous polymers developed by Chemistry. You may not even suspect, but even in the engine there are parts of a chemical nature, like the gears in polyamide (the popular nylon), also used in ducts and tanks of the cooling system. By the way, talking about cooling, have you ever asked yourself why the engines do not overheat, even when traffic is not moving on a hot day? It is a chemical product, the polypropyleneglycol added to the radiator water, that avoids this problem. Without the PPG we would still be living the scenes of the old comic movies, a boiling overheated radiator and the driver running around the car totally confused about what to do.

Chemistry in a vehicle is simply amazing. The fuel tank, formerly in steel, is now molded in HDPE, High Density Polyethylene, which is safer, lighter and eliminated the risk of corrosion. The bumpers may be made of polypropylene. Lanterns, greasers, fuel hoses, battery, seats, headliner, carpets and rugs, laminated shatterproof glass, console, frames, and door handles, adhesives, air-bags…the list is unending and would be larger if we included the names of other chemical products that may be used in the manufacturing of those parts.

The automotive industry used more and more chemically structured products to replace other materials, getting stronger, lighter and more durable parts. The participation of chemical products in the assembly of a vehicle has increased so much and has opened so many possibilities that there are projects already to manufacture cars almost totally recyclable. As you can see, the automobile, one of the most important symbols of modern civilization, is becoming every time lighter, more economic, nicer, safer – and ever more chemical.

Text: Luiz Carlos de Medeiros (Mtb 12.293) English version by Joe Vianna (translat@mvpisp.com)