| Greener, Lighter Plastics for Cars |
| Tuesday, 22 September 2009 20:04 | |||
 Dearborn, Michigan, September 2009 – Auto researchers and engineers are examining the use of lighter-weight materials and components in their quest to develop more fuel-efficient vehicles.
Ford's approach to alternative materials is not just about the need to be lighter, however, but also about the need to be greener. The company's use of more bio-based, recycled and reclaimed materials in production vehicles today, for example, already is resonating with the growing number of customers consciously purchasing products that are healthier for people and the planet. Ford researchers now are looking even harder at plastics, rubber, foam, film and fabric to develop more alternative bio-based materials that are functional, durable and cost-effective, and that decrease our dependence on foreign oil. 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. 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. 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 is 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 Canadian Universities of Guelph, Toronto, Waterloo and Windsor. The BioCar Initiative is an Ontario government-funded project designed to advance the use of more plant-based materials in the auto and agricultural industries. Ford holds a spot on BioCar's advisory board and directs some of the project's automotive research with biomaterials. Issues on the working block include: -- Moisture absorption: Natural fiber-reinforced plastics are more likely to absorb moisture over time, causing functional and durability concerns. -- Odor: Injection molding at high temperatures with a natural fiber-reinforced plastic emits an undesirable odor. -- Decomposition: PLA is designed to decompose quickly, but researchers want to make sure it will last the lifetime of a vehicle before that decomposition process starts. Experimentation with nano filler materials in plastic composites is still on Ford's research screen, too. Nano fillers have the potential to reduce weight while increasing strength. Early testing results show that a plastic reinforced with 5 percent nano filler instead of the typical 30 percent glass filler contains strength and lightweight properties that are better than glass. The big roadblock all nano researchers are facing today, however, is how to uniformly exfoliate or disperse the nano material within the composite so that weak spots do not occur. Although increased usage of bio-based materials in plastics is still in the advanced research phase, Ford has already made great inroads with other bio-based, reclaimed and recycled materials that are in Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles today, including soy-based polyurethane foams on seat cushions and seatbacks, underbody systems and postindustrial recycled yarns in seat fabrics. Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 201,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.ford.com SOURCE Ford Motor Company
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