DuPont TPE enters hall of fame

Troy, Michigan – A constant velocity joint (CVJ) half-shaft drive-axle boot seal using DuPont Hytrel TPC/ET thermoplastic polyester elastomer has been selected as the 2014 ‘hall of fame’ winner by the Society of Plastics Engineers.

Announced at the 44th SPE ‘automotive innovation awards’ event on 12 Nov, the award is given to one component in continuous production for at least 15 years that has made a significant and lasting contribution to the application of plastics in automotives.

General Motors in 1984 was the first to use CVJ boots made of Hytrel. The inherent wear resistance and flexibility of Hytrel significantly improved the durability of CVJ boots, which protect a vehicle’s rotating shaft from road debris and axle grease.

Today, 85 percent of front-axle CVJ boot seals on light-duty vehicles worldwide use thermoplastic polyester elastomer in this application, according to DuPont.