Innovative Engine Part for Toyota Generates Fuel Savings

TROY, Mich., April, 11, 2005 - Toyota showcases its commitment to cleaner,
more energy-efficient transportation with the Toyota Zero Crown luxury car,
available in Japan.  
Among this vehicle's innovative features is the world's first water jacket
spacer, part of the engine cylinder block, made of DuPont(tm) Zytel(r) HTN
high-performance polyamide.  The water jacket spacer directs long-life
coolant flow to transfer heat away from key areas of the combustion chamber,
equalizing cylinder wall temperatures.  Toyota engineers credit the improved
cooling with increasing fuel economy by three-tenths of a mile per gallon,
or 1 percent, while extending engine life. 
To achieve this breakthrough application of a plastic that is exposed on
both sides to hot coolant, engineers at DuPont worked closely with their
counterparts at Toyota, molder Uchiyama Manufacturing Corp. of Okayama-City,
Okayama (Japan) and Tier One supplier Aisan Industry Co. Ltd. of Obu, Aichi
(Japan).  DuPont provided mold flow and deformation analyses to Uchiyama and
Aisan before molding trials started, and technical assistance through
several years of successful testing. 
"This is a breakthrough application because it represents the first water
jacket spacer designed for open deck engines," said Hajime Ohke of
Engineering Polymers, DuPont Japan.  The "open deck" configuration, which
refers to the area where the cylinder head meets the engine block, is more
economical and efficient to produce than the closed deck.  The new water
jacket spacer is a low-cost addition and easy to install during manufacture.
Toyota expects to use the water jacket spacer in other engines in the near
future to realize fuel-saving benefits.
 
The water jacket spacer is made from DuPont(tm) Zytel HTN(r)
high-performance polyamide, selected for its ability to withstand harsh
chemicals such as long-life coolant, in working temperatures of more than 80
degrees Celsius.  A precision insulator of engine coolant, the water jacket
spacer passed all of Toyota's strict evaluation tests.  The component is on
display at the DuPont exhibit (booth #1959) during the SAE World Congress
April 11-14 at Cobo Center in Detroit. 

DuPont is a science company.  Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work
by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier
life for people everywhere.  Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont
offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets
including agriculture, nutrition, electronics, communications, safety and
protection, home and construction, transportation and apparel.