Automotive Biobased
Automotive Biobased materials don’t lack behind in performance or price Like any other, the world’s automotive industries have had to flex and adapt to the needs of a changing globe: Hybrid engine technology, environmentalism, fossil fuel crises have all played their part in very recent times and these issues blend in with the day-to-day trends in society and from the motoring public. Since the more distant past, suppliers to the automotive marketplace have been used to fierce scrutiny in terms of quality, process methods, competitiveness, and cost. Annual supply reviews with a cost down objective remain the norm. None but the most competitive of companies can survive here. It’s not for nothing that the automotive industry is the cradle of C21 manufacturing efficiency and the poster boy for methods such as six sigma, kaizen, and a philosophy of continuous manufacturing improvement. Plastics technology, or course, has generally fared very well in the automotive business, although the material class has had to fight hard for every piece of aluminium and steel it has replaced. Even today, and despite the advances of polymers, most automotive engineers are primarily schooled firstly in metallurgy and then in other materials. From 1970, the first fossil fuel crisis helped greatly to advance plastics over metals due to the urgent need to lightweight vehicles as much as possible – thus reducing fuel consumption. Today, issues of material and energy scarcity continue to occupy automotive designers – as do automotive post-use and recycling issues. And now, into that mix, come fresh issues and opportunities involving new biomaterials. It is worth remembering here that Henry Ford’s 1941 bioplastic Model T was made of hemp, flax, wheat, and spruce pulp. This made the vehicle lighter than fibreglass and ten times tougher than steel, according to media at the time (see https://youtu.be/srgE6Tzi3Lg). The metals industry triumphed over that project eventually – up until the present day. However, even though the process may be slow, invested industries can change: The bottom line is that all automotive parts have significant performance requirements – be they metal or plastic – depending on their location within the vehicle. Body parts, for example, need significant weathering resistance against sun and rain, together with robustness against physical abrasions such as denting and scratching. Under the hood components – whatever the engine type – are typically exposed to different constraints, especially temperature. And interior automotive parts increasingly need to satisfy tactile and aesthetic criteria in order to attract the consumer and to therefore compete in today’s competitive marketplace. A new project from Röchling (Mannheim, Germany), together with chemicals giant BASF (Ludwigshafen, Germany), is now addressing all of these automotive concerns in a way that will deliver environmental benefits through biobased materials. One of Europe’s leading polymer compounder, Benvic, is a major partner in Roechling’s venture. For some time now, Benvic’s biobased Plantura PLA-based polymer compounds have been challenging materials such as polyamides or PMMA/ASA formulations. Name standard PC-ABS PP T20 PLANTURA 67C1WR PP GF30 PA6 GF30 PLANTURA 70FV6 E-mod. MPa ISO 527 2000 ÷ 2300 2200 3200 5500 ÷ 6400 6000 ÷ 9500 6200 Tensile strength @ break MPa ISO 527 35 ÷ 45 20 40 80 ÷ 90 100 ÷ 180 70 Elongation @ yield % ISO 527 4 5 - - 2,1 Elongation @ break % ISO 527 >35 20 >20 2 ÷ 3 3 ÷ 7 2,4 Charpy notch. 23°C kJ/m² ISO179-1eA >40 - 23 10 12 ÷ 20 10 Charpy notch. -30°C kJ/m² ISO179-1eA >20 - 7,5 8 9 ÷ 11 10 HDT/A 1,80MPa °C ISO 75 100 90 90 140 200 140 Density g/cm³ ISO1183 1,13 1,05 1,26 1,13 1,35 1,43 Comparison of Plantura grades with conventional materials used in the automotive industry. 18 bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/23] Vol. 18
By: Eric Grange Marketing Manager Benvic Chevigny-Saint-Sauveur, France COMPEO Automotive In the past, bio-sourced polymers have provided environmental improvements in terms of carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions. However, many of these polymers have traditionally been poor in providing thermomechanical performance and also climatic resistance properties. Leading compounding technology for heat- and shear-sensitive plastics Enter Benvic with its Plantura formulation technology that takes these biopolymers to the next level – higher structural performance: increased thermal resistance, hydrolysis, fatigue resistance, and resistance at impact. UV resistance – and thus improved weathering and reduced colour fade – is another key parameter for which Benvic has found improvements, thanks to the company’s customised materials work that has succeeded in improving bio parts continuously exposed to sun rays. The table shows how different Plantura grades compare to conventional fossil-based materials used in the automotive sector. An increased focus on the environment does not mean that the automotive industry has relaxed its need for efficiency in terms of component performance and cost. Here again, Benvic’s work with Plantura has meant that parts such as grill shutters can now rely on a very good materials rheology that will fill mould cavities quickly and will also optimise the moulding cycle time. In summary, Benvic’s Plantura compounds now provide a materials platform where environmental aspirations and ambitions can now become a cost-effective reality in the automotive industry. Plantura polymer compounds offer improved technical properties that provide an alternative to conventional techno polymers. These compounds also resolve past weaknesses in polymer processing and product performance. www.benvic.com | www.roechling.com | www.basf.com Uniquely efficient. Incredibly versatile. Amazingly flexible. With its new COMPEO Kneader series, BUSS continues to offer continuous compounding solutions that set the standard for heat- and shear-sensitive applications, in all industries, including for biopolymers. • Moderate, uniform shear rates • Extremely low temperature profile • Efficient injection of liquid components • Precise temperature control • High filler loadings www.busscorp.com bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/23] Vol. 18 19
