TI Automotive Develops First Plastic Fuel Tank to Meet PZEV Regulation

DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 28 -- TI Automotive, the world's leading supplier of automotive fluid storage and delivery systems, will show the world's first plastic fuel tank to meet California's strict Partial Zero Emission Vehicle (PZEV) requirements at a technical conference here today.

Dr. Pierre Delbarre, TI Automotive's global director of materials and innovations, will present a technical paper on the fuel tank at the International Technical Business Consultants (ITB) Automotive Fuel Systems 2003 conference.

Named PERMBLOK(R) AS6, the tank is constructed of an innovative combination of six layers of materials to reduce fuel permeation and exceed rigorous crash-test standards. It was co-developed in partnership with the French petrochemical company ATOFINA at TI Automotive's research facility in Rastatt, Germany.

TI Automotive already has a contract to supply the PERMBLOK(R) AS6 tank for a North American production vehicle in 2004.

"The development of PERMBLOK(R) AS6 builds on TI Automotive's breakthrough six-layer 'ship-in-a-bottle' (SIB) and complete vapor recovery (CVR) designs," Dr. Delbarre said. "These designs enclose fuel pumps, level sensors and other components inside the fuel tank to significantly reduce vehicle evaporative emissions."

TI Automotive introduced the SIB design in 2002 to help automakers meet California's LEV II regulations.

PERMBLOK(R) AS6 combines two barrier materials -- ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) and ATOFINA'S ORGALLOY(R) FT104 nylon-based alloy -- in a way that both reduces fuel permeation and improves structural integrity and crashworthiness. The new tank structure offers superior performance for elevated temperatures (above 100 degrees C).

PERMBLOK(R) AS6 provides automakers with a broader degree of design flexibility without adding weight or taking up additional space. Plastic provides a significant advantage over steel for tanks because it doesn't corrode; it is more easily shaped; it is lighter, and molds are cheaper and easier to produce.

The new tank meets PZEV requirements with several different types of fuels, including fuels containing alcohol, which are highly aggressive or even corrosive to many materials. Cost of the new tank is expected to be competitive with steel tanks that meet PZEV regulations.

PERMBLOK(R) AS6 meets California's PZEV standards for evaporation from the fuel system. The tank also meets California's LEV II standards along with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Tier 2 and the EU's Euro IV regulations.

TI Automotive is the world's leading supplier of fluid storage, transfer and delivery systems including brake, fuel and air conditioning applications. Based in Warren, MI, the company employs over 20,000 people at more than 130 facilities in 29 countries on six continents. Further information about TI Automotive is available on the company's website at www.tiautomotive.com .