Ford Motor Company affiliated research center, said 30% of it for injection sisal fiber reinforced polypropylene material is close to the implementation stage.
From Ford ForschungszentrumAachen GmbH company MairaMagnani in Kassel in Germany last month, University of Stuttgart-Fellbach held global WPC and natural fiber composites spoke at the meeting.
Sisal fiber reinforced with 30% of the parts has reached Ford's crash tests and head model impact test requirements.glue stick Center console made from this material than PP Talc 20% lighter. Other benefits include reduced by 20% of the melting temperature and 10% faster cycle time.
But Magnani proposal, the need for sisal fiber material for further study, because in the odor, and non-natural fiber materials, components and color matching, the input data stream model, crash simulation and natural fiber simulation module there are some issues to be resolved.
PP Sisal enhance self-developed by Ford and Ford in recent years developed a suitable injection molding of a variety of natural fiber reinforced composite materials, such as the Ford Mondeo, Focus and Fiesta car door panels used in 50% of the kenaf fiber reinforced material.
Ford is also considering the United States and Brazil produce 30% of hemp fiber reinforced PP used in electrical / electronic product shell and the engine compartment applications. Ford said, after tests showed that materials and components,glue gun such materials have also been "close to the implementation phase."
Ford Cannabis reinforcement and sisal on the face the same problem, but the glass fiber battery tray with marijuana enhanced ecological comparison shows that carbon dioxide equivalent from the point of view, cannabis reinforcements in the next 100 years, lower global warming potential 45 %. Components can also reduce the weight.
Ford in the application of sustainable development, the material also won another success, that is provided by Schulman straw enhanced AgriPlasBF20H-31 PP composites, used in Ford's 2010 models Fulaikesi storage box and rear panels box lid.
Magnani said, only this one application of 9 tons per year to reduce fuel consumption, a reduction of approximately 15 tons per year of carbon dioxide emissions.
In this meeting, Magnani also referred to Ford in 2009 launched a period of 3 years of the liquid timber program designed to improve the quality of WPC injection molding grade. Banbury-type internal mixing with composite production of such materials to more than double screw extruder production more efficient, because it ensures that the complete closure of the polymer fiber. FMC found that this eliminates the need for wood fiber pretreatment process, but also reduces the water absorption and reduce the smell.
Magnani concluded that trials have shown by molding, low viscosity liquid timber, but in terms of temperature only do minor processing adjustments. The material can also be molded into complex shapes and openings, which in the mold design is a great advantage, but in order to obtain low shrinkage effects, need to be adjusted on a gradient mode.
Magnani said the other challenges facing the liquid timber including the optimization of industrial production, cost-effectiveness, to ensure stable supply, color management and development of analog input data and tools.
Ford hopes to use biological materials, to help fact, between the 2006-2020 Ford 30% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions target.