Sekisui Kasei Foamac HR Gets 50% Lighter Grade for Racing

Lightweight Foamac HR Grade Targets Racing Performance

On September 17, Sekisui Kasei Co., Ltd. announced a low-density grade of its rigid acrylic foam Foamac HR, with the new version weighing approximately 50% less than the conventional grade. Sekisui Kasei Foamac HR has been adopted as the foam core material for the GAINER TANAX Z, a race car competing in the GT300 class of the Super GT four-wheel racing series. The development reflects the company's focus on mobility applications, where lightweight structural materials can contribute to vehicle performance while still meeting demanding requirements for rigidity, heat resistance, and processing.

New Foam Grade Addresses CFRP Composite Requirements

Sekisui Kasei Co., Ltd. is positioning the mobility sector as a growth area and is developing foam core materials for carbon fiber-reinforced plastic, or CFRP, composites. Foam cores used in these applications must withstand composite processing conditions while providing sufficient structural properties. They also need to contribute to lower vehicle weight, which can support driving performance and fuel efficiency. The company therefore pursued a lower-density version of Foamac HR designed to address the competing requirements of weight reduction and structural capability within CFRP composite applications.

Low-Density Grade Maintains Key Performance Characteristics

According to the announcement, the new Foamac HR grade achieves an approximately 50% weight reduction compared with conventional grades while maintaining necessary levels of rigidity, heat resistance, and processability. This balance is important for foam core materials used in demanding composite structures because reducing density alone does not guarantee suitability for manufacturing or structural applications. The development establishes a technology that combines significantly lower weight with the performance characteristics required during composite processing. Its adoption in the GAINER TANAX Z provides a direct application in motorsports, where minimizing vehicle mass can be particularly relevant to overall driving performance.

Motorsports Application Demonstrates Mobility Potential

The adoption of the material in the GAINER TANAX Z connects Sekisui Kasei's lightweight foam technology with an active GT300 racing application. The Super GT series places demanding requirements on race-car materials, making the application relevant to the company's broader effort to develop foam core solutions for mobility. While the announcement specifically identifies the racing vehicle as the adopted application, the underlying material characteristics are directed toward CFRP composite structures more broadly. The combination of reduced density, rigidity, heat resistance, and processability forms the technical basis of the company's approach to lightweight composite construction.

Industry Impact & Outlook

The development highlights the continuing importance of lightweight composite materials in mobility applications where manufacturers must balance mass reduction with structural and manufacturing requirements. Sekisui Kasei's approximately 50% lower-density Foamac HR grade demonstrates how foam core materials can be tailored toward CFRP applications without abandoning required rigidity, heat resistance, and processability. The GAINER TANAX Z adoption also provides a concrete racing application for the technology. Future development will depend on how effectively the material characteristics translate into additional mobility applications, particularly where reducing component weight can contribute to vehicle performance and fuel-efficiency objectives.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the new Foamac HR grade developed by Sekisui Kasei?
The new Foamac HR grade is a lower-density rigid acrylic foam designed to reduce weight while retaining important performance characteristics for composite applications. Sekisui Kasei says the grade is approximately 50% lighter than conventional versions while maintaining necessary rigidity, heat resistance, and processability. The material has been adopted as the foam core material for the GAINER TANAX Z race car, which competes in the GT300 class of the Super GT racing series. The development is part of Sekisui Kasei's broader focus on foam core materials for mobility and CFRP composite applications.