use of bio materials in vehicles
DESCRIPTION
The extensive technology enabling the use of Bio-materials in vehicles even to replace metals for better characteristics. However is the use of these materials justifiable in every aspects or not?TRANSCRIPT
MINI PROJECT
NEAR TO MARKET RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
USE OF BIO-MATERIALS IN VEHICLES
Submitted By: Submitted To: SARIN TULADHAR DR. R. C. EDNEY M.SC AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING LECTURER: 080038892 VEHICLE ENGINEERING AND DESIGN
CITY UNIVERSITY LONDON
Table of Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 1
The Driving Factors: ................................................................................................................................ 2
Applications: ........................................................................................................................................... 5
Advantages: ............................................................................................................................................ 7
Comparison with traditional materials .................................................................................................. 9
Some Negative Arguments: .................................................................................................................. 10
Some Examples ..................................................................................................................................... 11
Ford 2003 Model U concept vehicle ..................................................................................................... 11
Honda FCX Clarity: ................................................................................................................................ 13
Nissan Nuvu Electric City car concept ................................................................................................... 14
Toyota 1/X Plug-in Hybrid Concept....................................................................................................... 15
Ford 2010 Lincoln MKT ......................................................................................................................... 16
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................. 17
References: ........................................................................................................................................... 18
1
INTRODUCTION
Bio based products (colloquially referred to as biomaterials) are industrial or commercial
materials composed of biological feedstock such as agricultural crops, grasses, forest residues,
plant oils or other biomass. The feedstocks are broken down into sugars and converted into
various building block substances, such as lactic acid. From there, the substances can be converted
into countless secondary chemicals, polymers and intermediates, which often have high profit
margins and can be sold on their own, or fashioned into consumer products such as antifreeze, car
seats, carpets, food packaging, paints, cosmetics, adhesives and detergents. Plastic, or ‘bioplastic’
as it is known when it originates from biomass, is one of the largest applications. Fuel can also be
considered a bio based product, but the term generally refers to nonfuel products. Bio based
products generally offer different properties from their petrochemical competitors because their
compositions are not equivalent. Bioplastics sometimes are less heat resistant, for example. Some
biobased products can also offer desirable properties that petrochemical products cannot, and
finding markets for such properties is a key to commercialization.
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THE DRIVING FACTORS:
The most important factor that has motivated the manufacturers in using biomaterials
instead of other traditional materials is the cost. As for example, let us take the comparison
between the price of corn and petroleum oil. Until the early 70's the issue of sustainability of
petroleum products was not seen on the global market. During the 70's when this issue had arisen
the price of petroleum products started to incline and consequently started to meet the prices of
the corn oil (or other biomaterials developed then). In the early 90's the scenario had just
reversed. Manufacturers were starting to use more sustainable and biodegradable materials as a
result of alarming pollution rates across the world and also the sustainability of petroleum
products. Since then manufacturers have tried to lower down the prices of biomaterials as much
as possible to make it feasible to use in Automotives or other uses replacing petroleum products
or metals.
Graph of Oil and Corn Prices with time
Source:http://gowebpost.com/BIOP/PPT_pdf/CRAWFORD_Craig.pdf
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Similar is the case for Soy Polyol which is being used instead of the traditional Petroleum
Polyol.
These factors, along with the fact that petroleum products adds much to the pollution of
the environment, has led the manufacturers of Automobiles in using as much bio-materials in their
vehicles as they can. As can be seen from the graph below, the consumption of bio-plastics has
rapidly increased in Europe as well as in the World during the last few years and the estimates in
terms of tonnes of it being used and the market is going to occupy is also shown in the graph.
Variations in Prices of Soy Polyol and Petroleum Polyol due time
Source: OmniTech International
4
Very interestingly, in the past 2 years the idea of using not only bio-fuels but also using it to
manufacture other accessories of a vehicle has bloomed and the car manufacturing industries are
doing their best to go green both in terms of fuel and also the parts of the vehicle.
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APPLICATIONS:
Plastics have always been a material used in the manufacture of automobiles. The
only difference is the percentage of it used. In 1960, a typical vehicle used about 1% of
plastics which increased to 7% in 2000 and then to and then to 15% by weight in 2006.
The increasing use of plastics in Automotive is due to the fact that plastic weighs about
25% less than steel giving the same strength. The plastic content in a typical vehicle is
estimated to be about 10% in the body and 25% in interiors and this figure is ever
increasing as new bio plastics are being developed.
The variety of bio-based automotive parts currently in production is stunning.
Daimler Chrysler has been the biggest proponent of these materials, and today, up to 50
components in Mercedes-Benz A-, C-, E- and S-Class models are bio-based — though not
necessarily in vehicles sold in the United States.
Flax, hemp and sisal are processed into door cladding, seat back linings and
package shelves (the space behind the rear seats of sedans). Coconut fibre and
caoutchouc (a source of latex) are used to make seat bottoms, back cushions and head
restraints. Abaca (a cousin of the banana tree) is used in under-floor body panels. And the
company expects suppliers to be able to produce flexible tubing for fuel and brake systems
Source: http://gowebpost.com/BIOP/PPT_pdf/CRAWFORD_Craig.pdf
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made with castor oil soon.
Other manufacturers have been putting natural ingredients into their cars as well:
The BMW Group incorporates a considerable amount of renewable raw materials
into its vehicles, including 10,000 tons of natural fibers in 2004. Each BMW 7 Series
car boasts 24 kilograms of renewable raw materials, with flax and sisal in the
interior door linings and panels, cotton in the soundproofing, wool in the upholstery
and wood fiber in the seatback cushions.
Toyota has shown interest in using kenaf. This grass, which is related to okra, has
been used to make Lexus package shelves, and it's also incorporated into the body
structure of Toyota's i-foot and i-unit concept vehicles.
At General Motors, a kenaf and flax mixture has gone into package trays and door
panel inserts for Saturn L300s and European-market Opel Vectras, while wood fiber
is being used in seatbacks for the Cadillac DeVille and in the cargo area floor of the
GMC Envoy and Chevrolet TrailBlazer.
Honda is using wood fiber in the cargo area floor for the Pilot SUV.
Ford mounts Goodyear tires that are made with corn on its fuel-sipping Fiestas in
Europe. The sliding door inserts for the Ford Freestar are made with wood
fibre.Ford is using soy foam technology to make seat cushions, which are used in
several vehicle lines. This is making a big impact, they say, in reducing their carbon
footprints. They are also trying to replace petroleum with bio-resins.
Soy foam Seats that used by Ford Motors
7
ADVANTAGES:
Why are automakers so interested in turning plants into car parts? As it turns out, there are
lots of reasons, some business-oriented, some environmentally oriented and some just
plain patriotic.
First of all, many of these biobased parts replace petroleum-based components. When the
parts are made here in a country, the switch to agricultural materials reduces the country's
reliance on foreign oil while also supporting local farmers. Rising and fluctuating oil prices
also make biobased materials more appealing, since their prices can be more stable —
and lower — than prices for the materials they replace.
From a green standpoint, the less oil we transport into a country, the less likely it is to
experience an oil spill or other environmental nightmare. And if there is spillage of bio
based materials, there's no worry, since most are biodegradable.
Using soybeans instead of petroleum products improves the CO2 balance of car parts,
since more carbon dioxide is absorbed by the growing plants than is released when a
vehicle is scrapped.
Biodegradability and recyclability of the finished part is another reason automakers are so
keen on these materials (although not all biobased car parts are biodegradable or
recyclable). While the United States hasn't issued regulations concerning end-of-life
requirements for automobiles, the European Union and several Asian countries have come
out with stringent guidelines. In the EU, by 2015, 85 percent of a vehicle must be reused or
recycled at the end of its life. Japan is similarly strict, requiring 95 percent of a vehicle to
be recovered in 2015 (recovery allows for incineration of some components).
End-of-life isn't the only timeframe that concerns automakers these days. Most companies
are looking at the environmental impact of a vehicle's entire lifecycle, from raw materials to
manufacturing to a drivable vehicle to disposal.
When you consider biobased materials from a lifecycle standpoint, they've got even more
appeal. Starting out in the field, as you're growing the raw materials, the plants are
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consuming carbon dioxide. Plus, many biobased car parts require less energy to
manufacture than their more traditional counterparts. They can be easier on the
manufacturing machinery, and they can be easier on factory workers. For instance,
workers have experienced skin irritations and respiratory issues related to fiberglass dust;
new materials that use plant fibers instead of glass fibers to reinforce molded composites
don't cause these problems.
Some figures related to advantage in reduction of GHG's:
3 million reduction of CO2 per tonne plastic with bio substitution.
A 1 kg reduction in vehicle weight through bioplastics produces 7 to 9 litres of fuel
savings; resultiing benefit equals 1 million tonne reduction of GHG per year.
Additional savings of 50,000 MJ per tonne of biomaterial used in vehicle
manufacturing;(assuming 4 million cars manufactured in 2015, total bioplastics
usage equals 400,000 tonnes and saves about 50,000 barrels of oil and 20 GJ of
energy per year.)
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COMPARISON WITH TRADITIONAL MATERIALS
Are automakers sacrificing anything to use biobased materials? As it turns out, biobased
car parts typically work better than the parts they replace. For instance, Honda's
engineering team found that the wood fiber-reinforced floor provided better dimensional
stability than the other, more traditional materials being considered.
Likewise, Goodyear has found that its corn-infused tires have lower rolling resistance than
traditional tires, so they provide better fuel economy. And DaimlerChrysler notes that plant
fibers' ability to absorb large amounts of humidity makes them perfect for use in seat
cushions, where they can increase occupant comfort.
According to BMW, it's possible to manufacture biobased composites that are as much as
40-percent lighter than equivalent injection-molded plastic parts. That's because natural
fibers have high-tensile strength, durability and rigidity, plus they're easy to process and
lighter in weight than glass fibers, all of which makes them excellent for reinforcing
composites.
Using plant fibers in composites provides additional advantages in terms of product design
flexibility, noise absorption, insulation, impact-resistance and even a reduced tendency for
parts to splinter in a crash. Plus, weight reduction translates directly into better gas
mileage.
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SOME NEGATIVE ARGUMENTS:
The current food crisis has stirred some negative press for bioplastics, which often get
lumped together with biofuels when it comes to food-versus-fuel debates. After a widely
circulated news report published in April in the UK’s Guardian newspaper, many media
outlets described bioplastics as the other culprit—second to biofuels—in the global food
crisis and a contributor to greenhouse gases.
Popular arguments against using renewable feedstock such as corn and soybeans for
automotive and other industrial applications – most overtly, perhaps, for biofuels such as
corn-derived ethanol are that it takes food aways from the mouth, may it be human or
animal , and raises food costs.
For that reason, many automotive companies are focusing their R&D efforts on converting
cellulosic biomass (inedible vegetation such as plant waste or wood shavings) into a
suitable form for use in production components. One such initiative is under way at Mazda,
in a collaborative research partnership with Hiroshima University to develop “non-food
based” bio-plastic for vehicles by 2013.
What happens to waste bio-plastic has also brought negative press. Most bio-plastic can’t
be recycled with petroleum-based plastic. Some bio-plastic is biodegradable or
compostable, but much of it ends up in landfills where it slowly breaks down without the
presence of oxygen and releases methane gas. If bio-plastic is not biodegradable, it’s
more damaging than it is an improvement,.
That’s not to say the green movement’s effects on the industry are all negative. According
to an April survey sponsored partially by Dupont, nearly seven out of ten consumers are
willing to pay more for products made with renewable resources. Calling a product ‘green’
is a marketing strategy in itself, as bio-materials manufacturers know well.
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SOME EXAMPLES
Ford 2003 Model U concept vehicle
Power Source:
2.3 litre 4 cylinder supercharged, intercooled hydrogen internal combustion engine, coupled with a hybrid electric transmission.
Bio-materials Used:
The roof, a power-retractable canvas sunroof, is made of a corn-based polymer.
All the orange fabric — on the seats, steering wheel, dashboard and door panels — is recyclable polyester
FORD 2003 MODEL U CONCEPT CAR
Source: www.conceptcarz.com
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The Goodyear tires use cornstarch as a filler. Rubber by itself will float, so tires typically have particulate filler to reinforce the rubber and provide the strength. Typically it's carbon black, which is a petroleum-based resource which replaced by a filler made of cornstarch.
The motor oil comes from sunflower seeds.
The tailgate uses a soy-based resin.
The seat foam uses a soy-based component in place of a petroleum derivative.
The clear coat paint layer is cured by ultraviolet light rather than a bake oven, which saves energy and uses fewer solvents.
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Honda FCX Clarity:
Features:
Power Source: 100 kW Honda Vertical flow Hydrogen Fuel cell stack
Energy Storage: 288V Lithium ion battery
Biomaterials Used: Honda Bio-Fabric, corn-based polyester
Material called polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT), and PLA-based
surface materials covering the interior of the Automobile.
Source of Biomaterial: A significant percentage of the seating material in the FCX Clarity is
derived from plants to extend its environmental sensibility even
further.
Advantage: The revolutionary Honda Bio-Fabric provides a CO2
reduction of 30% compared to conventional polyester made from
petroleum products.
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Nissan Nuvu Electric City car concept
Power Source: Electric
Biomaterials Used: The floor is made from wood fibers pressed from laminate sheets and studded with rubber inserts made from recycled tyres for grips.
Nissan Nuvu Electric City Car
Source: www.autoincar.com
Nuvu: Interior
Source: www.autoincar.com
15
Toyota 1/X Plug-in Hybrid Concept
Power Source: Hybrid with 500 cc Gasoline/E85 engine along with Electric drive from Lithium ion battery pack.
Features: Body made up of light Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) which makes its body 1/3rd of the weight of its contemporary Toyota Prius.
Roof is composed up of a bioplastic material derived from kenaf and ramie plants.
Advantages: The CFRP material is lighter and stronger than traditional metals, creating a shock-absorbing like structure with cross- sections that help absorb energy during an impact.
The roof derived from bio-plastics improves heat insulation, emits less carbon dioxide, increases the amount of light entering the cabin, and reducing noise.
Toyota 1/X Plug-in Hybrid Concept Car
Source: www.newlaunches.com
16
Ford 2010 Lincoln MKT
Type: Mid size Sports Utility Vehicle
Power Source: 3.7 liter V6 Duratec engine
Power max 268hp@6500 rpm
Torque Max 362Nm@4250 rpm
Features: The carpet is made up of banana fibers, which is a sustainable scenario, hand-woven in Nepal.
The leather for the seats is a biomaterial made from an organic tanning process that uses a bark extract from black wattle trees from commercially managed forests in Africa. And the leather is made in a Chromium free process.
Ford 2010 Lincoln MKT Concept Car
Source: http://robson.m3rlin.org
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CONCLUSION
With the concern over the global warming aspects of petroleum products as well as
the issue of sustainability of its own, bio-materials are bound to make the most of the parts
in a Automotive Industry in the future.
There are , however, some issues that would create some negative thoughts
towards using of bio-materials. Firstly, where do we grow these bio-materials from? In
today's populated world where each and every human is struggling for food ( in some
under developed countries), is it justifiable to grow crops for the car rather than growing
food for the people? This question would create a conflict between using of these bio-
materials and tend to visualize such materials as “enemy for starving people”.
Secondly, the nature of the bio-materials. Most of the bio-plastics are found to be
non recyclable. Most of them are not bio-degradable. If that is the case, use of bio-
materials would mean only to shift the pollution concentration from road to elsewhere (ex,
landfills) rather than to eliminate it.
Talking about the mechanical properties of these bio-materials, it has still got a long
away to go until it finally replaces metals and other carbon derived materials. Scepticism of
bio-materials and their ability to be thoroughly entrenched in high volume vehicles is not
isolated. Questions persist about how cost-competitive bio-materials can be compared to
incumbent materials. And while bio-based materials may be amendable to interior
applications, there is less confidence that they will find a home in exterior parts due to
more demanding requirements.
Referring to the cost of bio-materials, the more they are mass produced the
cheaper customers are going to get them. So we still need to wait until few more years till
the concept of using bio-materials has matured enough in the global market for a majority
of customers to accept them. In order for this to happen, the “negative image” given of by
the use of bio-materials need to be overcome by some strong reasoning and also some
new developments of these materials.
To conclude with, the future of the use of bio-materials in vehicles seems to be
bright.
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REFERENCES:
www.google.com
http://automobiles.honda.com/fcx-clarity
Automotive Engineering International magazine January 2009 issue:
(www.aei-online.org)
http://www.emilywaltz.com/Bioplastics_feature.pdf
http://www.edmunds.com/advice/alternativefuels/articles/105341/article.html
http://gowebpost.com/BIOP/PPT_pdf/CRAWFORD_Craig.pdf
www.comceptcarz.com