Long fiber thermoplastic composite muffler system with integrated crash management

A molded fiber reinforced polymer muffler having improved properties, comprising:

• a fiber reinforced thermoplastic polymer shell including at least one shell portion and an air guide integrally molded with said at least one shell portion:
• an exhaust duct for carrying exhaust gasses through said polymer shell;
• a fibrous dissipative silencer;
• and
• a mat of fibrous material between said shell and said exhaust duct, said mat including a facing selected from a group consisting of heat resistant and thermal reflective facings.

A fiber reinforced polymer muffler having improved properties, comprising:

• a fiber reinforced thermoplastic polymer shell having glass fiber weight fractions range from 5% to 90%, said shell including at least one shell portion wherein at least 5% weight of the glass fiber fraction has a mean Length/Diameter ratio (L/D) greater than 35, wherein said thermoplastic is selected from the group consisting of polamides, aromatic polyamides, polyetherimides, polyehtersulfones, polysulfones, polyphthalamides, blends of polyphenylene ether and epoxy, polyphenylsulphones, syndiotactic polystyrenes, liquid crystal polymers, polybutylene terephthalates, polyethylene terephthalates, thermoplastic polyurethanes, polytetrafluoroethylenes, polyvinylidene fluorides, polyetherketone, polyetheretherketones, aliphatic polyketone and polycarbonates and blends thereof;
• an exhaust duct for carrying exhaust gasses through said polymer shell;
• a fibrous dissipative silencer;
• a mat of fibrous material between said shell and said exhaust duct;
• and
• a facing selected from the group consisting of heat resistant and thermal reflective facings.