Press release
Source: Ford
Ford researchers are taking a hard look at traditional, petrol-based plastics, turning to Mother Nature to help create composites that are durable, lightweight and better for the environment.
While petroleum and glass fibers are typical ingredients associated with today's automotive plastics, Ford's research team is developing all-new composite recipes that include more natural ingredients such as soy flour, hemp, cellulose, and the sugars in corn, sugarbeets and sugarcane.
Nature made
Plastics currently make up approximately 10 percent of a vehicle, ranging from sight-unseen parts such as impact shields and engine covers to components drivers see and interact with everyday, including doors and instrument panels. Some of these plastics have fillers such as heavy glass fibers for added strength. Ford is examining the possibility of replacing those glass fibers with natural fiber reinforcements made from cellulose, soy protein, hemp fiber, flax fiber and other bio-based materials.
So far, lab test results have been promising, with the natural fiber-reinforced plastics showing up to a 30 percent weight reduction depending on the part.
Taking the idea of a greener automotive composite a step further, Ford is also working with a biodegradable plastic called polylactic acid (PLA). Derived completely from the sugars in corn, sugarbeets, sugarcane, switch grass and other plants, a plastic part made from PLA can biodegrade after its life cycle in 90 to 120 days versus up to 1,000 years in a landfill for a traditional, petroleum-based plastic.
Potential automotive applications for PLA are wide ranging, from textile applications for vehicle carpeting, floor mats and upholstery to interior trim pieces that are injection molded. More immediate possibilities include using PLA for nondurable auto applications such as protective wrappings used during vehicle manufacturing and transit.
Composite challenges
The presence of more bio-based materials in automotive plastics does pose mechanical performance, durability and process challenges that Debbie Mielewski, technical leader of Plastics Research at Ford, and her four-person biomaterials group are hot to solve.
To speed up development, the Ford team is working with several organizations and universities, including the Ontario BioCar Initiative – a multi-university effort between the University of Guelph, University of Toronto, University of Waterloo and University of Windsor.
Source: Ford
Ford researchers are taking a hard look at traditional, petrol-based plastics, turning to Mother Nature to help create composites that are durable, lightweight and better for the environment.
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While petroleum and glass fibers are typical ingredients associated with today's automotive plastics, Ford's research team is developing all-new composite recipes that include more natural ingredients such as soy flour, hemp, cellulose, and the sugars in corn, sugarbeets and sugarcane.
Nature made
Plastics currently make up approximately 10 percent of a vehicle, ranging from sight-unseen parts such as impact shields and engine covers to components drivers see and interact with everyday, including doors and instrument panels. Some of these plastics have fillers such as heavy glass fibers for added strength. Ford is examining the possibility of replacing those glass fibers with natural fiber reinforcements made from cellulose, soy protein, hemp fiber, flax fiber and other bio-based materials.
So far, lab test results have been promising, with the natural fiber-reinforced plastics showing up to a 30 percent weight reduction depending on the part.
Taking the idea of a greener automotive composite a step further, Ford is also working with a biodegradable plastic called polylactic acid (PLA). Derived completely from the sugars in corn, sugarbeets, sugarcane, switch grass and other plants, a plastic part made from PLA can biodegrade after its life cycle in 90 to 120 days versus up to 1,000 years in a landfill for a traditional, petroleum-based plastic.
Potential automotive applications for PLA are wide ranging, from textile applications for vehicle carpeting, floor mats and upholstery to interior trim pieces that are injection molded. More immediate possibilities include using PLA for nondurable auto applications such as protective wrappings used during vehicle manufacturing and transit.
Composite challenges
The presence of more bio-based materials in automotive plastics does pose mechanical performance, durability and process challenges that Debbie Mielewski, technical leader of Plastics Research at Ford, and her four-person biomaterials group are hot to solve.
To speed up development, the Ford team is working with several organizations and universities, including the Ontario BioCar Initiative – a multi-university effort between the University of Guelph, University of Toronto, University of Waterloo and University of Windsor.
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