JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #71 - March 2012 - 110

automotive

Sustainable and environmentally friendly technologies for the automotive sector
Sustainable bio-based materials have entered the market in end-use applications such as automotive components, as shown by the studies described in this paper. Because these materials still represent emerging technologies, a significant hurdle that still exists before widespread penetration into the automotive market is economic sustainability. This issue is due to the lack of existing infrastructure for the supply chain with the capacity for automotive volumes. The time to market for automotive applications is also much higher than for other durable applications, due to the number of requirements, harsh environments and long product life cycle. These challenges can be addressed by collaborative efforts along the entire supply chain. As evidenced in case study II for wheat straw-reinforced composite, the time to automotive implementation can be significantly shortened when all key stakeholders are involved in the development process. With the pull from consumers for more sustainable products, the market for bio-based materials in the automotive industry will continue to grow.
vehicle, many polymeric and composite materials – both thermoset and thermoplastic – find uses in the interior, exterior, underhood, and underbody areas as well. The average passenger vehicle contains 135-180 kg of plastics and composites, of which 13-18 kg are polyurethane foam and over 68 kg are injection- moulded components. Biobased alternatives to these types of materials offer good potential to substantially improve sustainability. A bio-based material can be defined as a material which incorporates a renewable resource that can be renewed year over year. The renewable resource can include biomass and agricultural wastes that are available from other process and revenue streams. Natural fibre-reinforced composites, soybean oil-based foams and corn-based resins are several examples of bio-based materials that can be, and have been, used in the automotive industry.

Case study l: soybean oil-based polyurethane foam
Polyurethane foams based on renewable oils such as soybean oil were first introduced into automotive applications in 2007 for seating foams (see Figure 1). This technology substitutes a portion of the petroleum-derived polyol with a soyderived polyol within the formulation of a two-part polyurethane foam. Figure 2 shows the two competing reactions that give rise to a polyurethane foam: the gel reaction, which forms the polyurethane linkages, and the blow reaction, which forms the cells or voids. Following the initiation of a research programme for the development of soy-based foam for automotive seating, Ford Research was awarded a 3-year grant by the United Soybean Board (USB) starting in 2004 to help advance

By
ellen c. lee, ph.D. plAstIcs reseArch technIcAl expert ForD Motor coMpAny

ustainable and environmentally-friendly technologies for the automotive industry include much more than alternative powertrains, fuels

and improvements to fuel economy. Sustainable materials, such as those incorporating recycled content and renewable resources, play a significant role in improving the carbon footprint of vehicles. In the last several years, bio-based or renewably-sourced polymers and composites have enjoyed fast growth due to advancements in materials technologies. Many types of materials find applications in the modern automotive vehicle. In addition to the metallic materials that make up the engine and underhood components and the structure of the

110 jec composites magazine / No71 March 2012

JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #71 - March 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #71 - March 2012