apan - Aichi, Japan-based manufacturer of rubber and plastic automotive components Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. has developed a cellulose nanofibre (CNF)-reinforced plastic suitable for automotive applications, according to a 13 April statement from the company.
The material was created as part of a government project to promote the use of nanocellulose as reinforcement in plastics materials in an effort to lower CO2 emissions from plastic products.
Toyoda Gosei has formulated various medium and long-term CO2 reduction targets, including aims to cut CO2 emissions in half by 2030 compared with FY2015 levels and to achieve zero CO2 emissions by 2050.
The development of materials that raise the environmental performance of its products are a part of the company’s efforts towards decarbonisation and a circular economy. Using CNF-reinforced plastics has the potential to reduce the CO2 emissions generated over the entire lifecycle of the automotive components it produces, from raw material procurement and production to recycling and disposal.
According to Toyoda Gosei, CNF has one-fifth the weight and five times the strength of steel. Its use as a reinforcement material in plastic or rubber allows for thinner products, making foam moulding easier, reducing end product weight and contributing to lower CO2 emissions from driving. In addition, not only can the material be recovered and reused at the end of the component’s life, degration is negligible, which means it can be recycled into automotive components. Lastly, the material is carbon neutral: even if incinerated, the only CO2 emitted is that which was absorbed by the plant during its growth.
The newly developed CNF-reinforced plastic combines 20% CNF in a general purpose plastic -polypropylene - used in automobile interior and exterior components. Initially, the decreased impact resistance due to the incorporation of CNF was an issue. However, the company has since successfully overcome this challenge to create a material with an impact resistance able to meet the requirements for automotive components. Trial products include glove compartments and front pillar garnishes.