So, what all was required? 

First: the carpet side was to have a premium look and feel, while the reverse  needed to offer superior functionality and robustness. This meant materials had to:

• be PVC- and latex-free
• emit minimal odor and emissions
• be 100% recyclable, thus complying with current end-of-life vehicle regulations

Equally as important, the fully automated production process required material that:

• could easily be shaped
• would be readily foamable
• featured excellent bond strength with the substrate of the carpet

Another critical production step was to maintain the dimensional stability of the finished mats, especially during the cooling process. This required the selected material to feature no crystallinity and instead be amorphous.

The solution: Marfran E CST 1362.011

MARFRAN Thermoplastic Elastomer Marfran E CST 1362.011 is a special compound that accommodates all of these challenges. Being a thermoplastic elastomer material, it exhibits a density of below 0.9 g/ccm that makes lightweight solutions possible and allows automotive designers to have full design freedom. Compared to thermoset rubber, this thermoplastic elastomer can yield cost savings of up to 30% on production cycles. Moreover, there is zero disposal cost because the material is 100% recyclable.

“We are excited about this new product offering from MARFRAN, as it enables car-mat producers to combine the best features from two different worlds. Our customers can truly experience the value of a sustainable material that provides the desired functionality,” says Stefan Karis, Senior Technical Sales and Product Manager at Nordmann.