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The Automotive Industry is Taking Advantage of Biobased Materials
According to the Center for Automotive Research the automotive industry's emphasis on biobased materials and technologies has been spurred by government regulations, consumer preferences, and the financial savings that can be realized from the adoption of these materials and technologies. End-of-life issues are also beginning to be addressed as much of Europe requires automobile manufacturers to reclaim and recycle car parts. But "lightweighting" is the single most important factor in the use of biobased materials in automobiles, as automakers race to meet the U.S. government's goal of doubling average fuel economy to 45 mpg by 2025. Environmental Leader, 2014. It is estimated that a 10% reduction in vehicle weight can result in a fuel economy improvement of 5% to 7%.
According to ICIS, a chemical information network, new materials will be at the heart of the super-efficient car of the future. As well as cutting emissions with lighter cars, these materials will also boast lower carbon footprints and greater fuel efficiency. Almost every part of the car - from body panels and tires to seat fillings and under-hood components - could one day be made from bio-derived materials. And some already are.
Biobased materials have been tested and deployed in a number of automotive components. Flax, sisal, and hemp are used in door interiors, seatback linings, package shelves, and floor panels. Coconut fiber and biobased foams are used to make seat bottoms, back cushions, and head restraints. Cotton and other natural fibers have been shown to offer superior sound proofing properties and are used in interior components. Abaca fiber has been used to make underbody panels. Center for Automotive Research.
In recent years, Ford has increased its use of biobased materials. With cellulose fiber-reinforced console components and rice hull-filled electrical cowl brackets, Ford's biobased portfolio now includes eight materials in production. Other examples are coconut-based composite materials, recycled cotton material for carpeting and seat fabrics, and soy foam seat cushions and head restraints. "We already have biobased foam on more than 2 million vehicles and we're looking to convert 100 percent of our fleet to it in the future," said Jerry Brown, Ford chief engineer of seat and restraint engineering. "This is just one way that Ford is advancing the use of eco-friendly materials in the industry." Ford Motor Company.
Mazda Motor Corporation and Mitsubishi Chemical have jointly developed a biobased engineering plastic that can be used for exterior parts for automobiles without the need for painting. This biobased engineering plastic will be used for the first time for interior parts for the all-new Mazda MX-5 which will be launched globally in 2015. Plastics Today
Toyota has been using biobased plastics in numerous parts and components for over a decade. For example, they use biobased plastics in the seat cushions in the Toyota Prius, Corolla, Matrix and RAV4, and in the Lexus RX 350 and CT 200h. Toyota.
The 2015 "Canadian Green Car Award" went to the Kia Soul EV. Various biobased materials were applied to the Soul EV, such as bioplastic, bio-foam and bio-fabric. Unlike previous plastic materials the bioplastics are derived from biobased oils and biobased materials from biomass. The interior of Kia's Soul EV includes 10% bioplastics. These interiors include cellulose-based plastic and thermoplastic elastomer fabric.
The use of biobased fibers, polymers, resins, and composites is in the early stages in the automotive industry. But the trend toward use of biobased materials is increasing rapidly and holds great promise in the future.