Abstract…
Akulon is proven to be safer, stronger and more durable in extreme conditions Akulon is proven to be the most effective airbag material available for extreme conditions, able to function at temperatures as low as –35°C without splintering or splitting; and demonstrating resistance to melting and loosening of fixation points in temperatures as high as 85°C degrees.

In terms of durability, plastic has two very simple benefits over metal: It doesn’t rust – or break…But what of its performance on impact? Even materials with identical mechanical property profiles can perform very differently when subjected to the most extreme stress.

Comparing properties on a datasheet is no longer enough, and neither is standard plastic testing – which is why the engineers and scientists at DEP devised a series of unique tests that are a major factor behind its unblemished safety record.

The most important of these is the Dynamic Burst Test, which entails the cavity of a closed airbag being filled with an explosive gas mixture that’s ignited to create an explosion. The pre-ignition pressures and gas/oxygen mixture are identified so that the actual pressure-time envelope (measured by a transducer) represents a typical loading. And the results – ratified in tests by many of our Tier 1 and OEM customers – have consistently shown Akulon K224-PG8 Polyamide 6 to be the superior material for airbag housing, ahead of metals and other polyamides.