Automotive Lighting

Lighting the way to a bright future

In automotive lighting, we have a long history. In the late 1960s, European sports cars began using LEXAN™ polycarbonate resin for taillights and indicator lenses—to add lightweight toughness and durability. Then, in the late 1970s, the first headlamp systems made with LEXAN resin arrived.

Through materials science and design support, we have been advancing automotive lighting ever since.

Today, we are in the midst another step forward in automotive lighting. New technologies—like LED, OLED, and laser—have arrived, driving rapid change. They promise to enable game-changing styling and functional solutions for both front and rear lighting and present new ambient-lighting possibilities for interiors.

While these technologies offer tremendous potential, design has had to keep up. Developing and delivering solutions is more complex. More than ever, manufacturers need materials and support from their value-chain partners.

Growing with industry

SABIC has been responding to this shift: adapting our materials portfolio to help industry realize the full potential of light source technologies.

Once again, LEXAN resin is helping to light the way with LEXAN XLS resin, which meets the high-transmission requirements for LED inner lenses and light guides. This material has better transmission and heat ageing properties than standard PC.

For light guides, lenses, and a diverse number of LED components, which often demand stronger or more-focused emission of light, we offer LEXAN LUX resin. This transparent material delivers high transmission and diffusion of light plus other high-value performance qualities.

For rear lighting LED applications, KONDUIT™ compound can deliver enhanced thermal management. LEXAN XHT copolymer resin is another option to help manage high-temperature environments in compact lighting units—offering additional advantages in flow, impact, and color stability compared to other high-heat materials.

All of these material solutions are shining examples of our efforts to create new options for part design, integration, bolder styling, faster cycle times, higher productivity, cost savings, and other benefits.

Moving innovation forward

The evolution in automotive lighting is just getting started—so we are far from finished. We are building on our expertise in new technologies to continue to support customers from concept to finished part.

Through materials science, we are expanding our already-extensive portfolio to deliver the high-performance properties required for future lighting applications.