Evaluation of the Temperature in the Painting Process on the Mechanical Properties of Polypropylene used in Automotive Bumpers

The automotive components made of polymers are very sensitive to temperature variation, either during its application in the vehicle or in some stage of manufacture of the component. The automotive bumpers, made of polypropylene during the process of painting, undergo a heater. This process is harmless to metals used in the body of the car, which also undergo heater because it is insensitive to the process of temperatures. However, according to the temperature (even moderate) and duration of the exposure, it can modify considerably the mechanical properties of some polymers. The main objective of this work was to assess whether the painting process of automotive bumpers can change its mechanical properties. Tensile, bending and micro-hardness tests were carried out in samples of bumper with the paint process (temperature) and crude, showing that the process can influence the final mechanical behavior of the component.