Last Chance to Experience Asahi Kasei’s AKXY Pod Future Automotive Interior Prototype and Crystal IS to Present Klaran® UVC LED Whitepaper at SAE WCX 2022

Visit us at booth 434 at SAE WCX in Detroit from April 5-7, 2022

Asahi Kasei, a diversified Japanese multinational company, will be showcasing their AKXY Pod future automotive interior prototype for the last time ever at the SAE World Congress Experience (WCX) trade show this upcoming April. In addition, Crystal IS, an Asahi Kasei Group company, will be presenting the results of a new study with their Klaran® UVC LEDs that showcase the technology’s ability to keep the automotive cabin clean from a wide variety of pathogens on April 5^th, 2022.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues and new variants emerging, keeping automotive cabins safe and clean remains a focus of the market. Asahi Kasei’s technology on display at SAE WCX 2022 provides a number of solutions as part of our Healthy Car Portfolio. By expanding the definition of safety – beyond crashes – we address this market need by reducing the risk of infection for both drivers and occupants.

Main Attractions

1. AKXY POD

Asahi Kasei’s concept of growing continuously together with our customers is described along with the evolution of the AKXY™ concept car series that symbolizes our passion for the automotive sector. AKXY POD combines countless Asahi Kasei textiles, resins, sensors, and other proprietary technologies into a pod where visitors can experience the future automotive interior space with all senses.

- Comfortable, Safe, and Clean

Automotive interiors of tomorrow will be molded by a wide range of technologies our booth visitors can experience that redefine comfort. AKXY POD is composed of proprietary textiles and engineering plastics that can significantly dampen sounds while reducing the vehicle’s overall weight to create a cabin atmosphere with optimized comfort. In addition, automotive interiors will need to be safe and clean, which is made possible from the products of our Healthy Car Portfolio. Our vehicles will have Ultraviolet-C (UVC) LEDs from Crystal IS in HVAC systems to clean the air we breathe and other safety innovations like our touch-free alcohol sensor from Senseair can be seamlessly implemented into the vehicle to detect alcohol on the driver’s breath in a matter of seconds, exceeding automotive OEM requirements.

2. Crystal IS Klaran UVC LED Whitepaper

Co-authors in attendance: Michael Franchy and Sanjay Kamtekar

The COVID-19 pandemic affected mobility in many ways – from changing business models of moving passenger to delivering packages and food, developing cleaning protocols for interiors and increasing the awareness of consumers to the hidden dangers of pathogens and viruses in an enclosed space. A trend towards healthy cars is believed to remain after the current pandemic and has led to the emergence of new safety features, from CO₂ gas sensors, to antimicrobial fabrics, and enhanced air purifiers. Here, we present the concept of equivalent air changes per hour and the results of integrating a UVC LED system into a car. The impact on HVAC materials over the simulated lifetime of a car is also shown, to prove compatibility of UVC LED technology with existing materials and ease of integration.

Other technology on display

• Engineering Plastics for EVs and Interiors

- XYRON™

- LEONA™

- Thermylene™ PP

- Thermylene SoForm™

• SunForce™ (BE) – UL94 V-0 rated foam for EV batteries

• Healthy Car Portfolio development: anti-viral grade of SoForm™

• High-performance membrane separator technology for Lithium-ion Batteries

• Klaran® UVC LEDs for purification and disinfection

• CO₂ Sensor

• Passive Alcohol Detection System (J3214 Compliant)

Innovation Preview

LASTAN® – flame retardant non-woven for EVs

Glaze Coating – water based, mass reducing coating for polycarbonate

SunForce™ AS/AM – Polyamide based particle bead foam

In addition, joining our display will be our partner Aryballe, demonstrating the NeOse Advance, their latest generation of digital olfaction hardware and software. Join us at booth 434 at the Huntington Place in Detroit for the SAE WCX show from April 5 to 7 and experience the future of automotive comfort and safety.

The technologies on display at SAE WCX are among a handful of innovations that represent Asahi Kasei’s commitment to “Creating for Tomorrow.” We are promoting multifaceted businesses and the diversity of our workforce through the key concepts of connecting within and outside of the company to promote our values: “Care for People, Care for Earth.” We are also dedicated to the creation of new businesses, a new level of global progression, and the development of sustainable solutions around the world. Through customer satisfaction and the establishment of a new sense of value, we contribute to the life and living of people around the world.

About Asahi Kasei

The Asahi Kasei Group contributes to life and living for people around the world. Since its foundation in 1922 with ammonia and cellulose fiber businesses, Asahi Kasei has consistently grown through the proactive transformation of its business portfolio to meet the evolving needs of every age. With more than 40,000 employees around the world, the company contributes to a sustainable society by providing solutions to the world's challenges through its three business sectors of Material, Homes, and Health Care. Its Materials sector, comprised of Environmental Solutions, Mobility & Industrial, and Life Innovation, includes a wide array of products from battery separators and biodegradable textiles to engineering plastics and sound solutions. For more information, visit www.asahi-kasei.com.

Asahi Kasei is also dedicated to sustainability initiatives and is contributing to reaching a carbon neutral society by 2050. To learn more, visit https://www.asahi-kasei.com/sustainability/.

Asahi Kasei Automotive

https://asahi-kasei-mobility.com/en/

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