The company, of Winterthur, Switzerland, says that the felt, called Flexi-Light PET, is manufactured from a blend of fibres that are made primarily (up to 90%) from polyethylene terephthalate (PET). By using a process that enables it to adjust the orientation of the fibres within the felt, Autoneum says that it is able to ensure that the mechanical and acoustic properties of the material are similar to those of polyurethane (PU) foam. Further, the felt is flexible and can be moulded into three-dimensional shapes, making it suitable for insulating interior components with complex contours, such as carpets and inner dashes.
Flexi-Light PET can be used as a decoupler in conjunction with Autoneum's other PET-based materials, allowing for any production waste to be re-used and for the materials to be recycled at the end of their lives.
Flexi-Light PET is an iteration of Autoneum's Flexi-Loft technology, which was launched in 2021(1). Flexi-Light PET is currently available worldwide as insulation for automotive carpets.