INNOVATING AUTOMOTIVE COMPOSITES: PROXXIMA™ R3630 C32 DCPD RESIN FOR CLASS-A SURFACE PARTS

This study demonstrates the adaptability of ExxonMobil’s Proxxima™ R3630 C32 resin system in converting epoxy-based vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) process to polydicyclopentadiene (pDCPD) resin for scalable production of Class-A automotive parts. The Concept8 domed frunk, developed by Nowicki Autosport Design and fabricated by McCLARIN Composites, successfully transitioned form an OE-grade 3K twill carbon fiber and epoxy resin to a pDCPD-based solution using the same tooling and process. This resulted in the first commercially available Class-A reinforced automotive part for a passenger sports car using pDCPD resin system. The polyolefin thermoset resin system, with lower viscosity and density than conventional epoxy resins, enhances infusion efficiency, reduces cycle times, and lowers component weight for improved performance. Quantitative comparisons show reduced cycle times, improved infusion rates, and weight savings compared to incumbent materials. Future work will integrate pDCPD into high-speed transfer molding (RTM) process to enable high-volume production of structural composite components, further optimizing efficiency, performance, and scalability, positioning pDCPD as a key solution for next-generation automotive composites.