Bio-polymers

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Ford and Ontario Bio-Car Initiative Develop Wheat Straw-Reinforced Plastic; First Application in 2010 Flex

November 11, 2009

Wheat Straw Bio-Filled Polypropylene. Click to enlarge.

Ford Motor Company, working with academic researchers in Canada and one of its suppliers, has developed a wheat straw-reinforced plastic; the natural fiber-based plastic contains 20% wheat straw bio-filler. First application is on the 2010 Ford Flex’s third-row interior storage bins. This application alone reduces petroleum usage by some 20,000 pounds per year, reduces CO₂ emissions by 30,000 pounds per year, and represents a sustainable usage for wheat straw, the waste byproduct of wheat.

Ford researchers were approached with the wheat straw-based plastics formulation by the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, as part of the Ontario BioCar Initiative—a multi-university effort between Waterloo, the University of Guelph, University of Toronto and University of Windsor. Ford works closely with the Ontario government-funded project, which is seeking to advance the use of more plant-based materials in the auto and agricultural industries.

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Study: Bio-Based Plastics Could Ultimately Replace Up to 90% of Total Global Consumption of Plastics in 2007

November 08, 2009

Projections of the worldwide production capacity of bio-based plastics through 2020. Source: PRO-BIP 2009. Click to enlarge.

Replacement of up to 90% (270 Mt) of the total global consumption of plastics in 2007 with bio-based plastics is ultimately technically possible, according to new study by authors at Utrecht University, commissioned by the associations European Bioplastics and the European Polysaccharide Network of Excellence (EPNOE). How fast this substitution will occur depends on a multitude of factors.

Study authors Martin K. Patel, Li Shen and Juliane Haufe project that by 2020, worldwide bio-plastics capacity could increase to as much as 4.40 Mt (about 1.5% of 2007 consumption) under a high growth scenario—approximately 30% higher than the projections based on company announcements (3.45 Mt) and the companies’ expectations (3.44 Mt).

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Toyota to Increase ‘Ecological Plastic’ in Vehicle Interiors, Starting with New Hybrid

December 19, 2008

Conceptual diagram of carbon neutrality of Toyota Ecological Plastic. Click to enlarge.

Toyota Motor (TMC) plans to increase use of plant-derived, carbon-neutral plastics in more vehicle models, starting with a new hybrid vehicle next year. The TMC newly developed plastics, collectively known as “Ecological Plastic”, are to be used in scuff plates, headliners, seat cushions and other interior vehicle parts.

Within 2009, TMC aims for Ecological Plastic to account for approximately 60% of the interior components in vehicles that feature it.

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