Completely Renewable and Recyclable “Green” Composites for Automotive Industry Iryna Gagauz www.bris.ac.uk/composites Introduction Prediction for 2050: 2 billion cars on the road !!!! Completely Renewable and Recyclable “Green” Composites for Automotive Industry Introduction 7-8 million tonnes of automotive waste every year in European Union Source: J. Sutherland, et al, “A global perspective on the environmental challenges facing the automotive industry: state-of-the-art and directions for the future,” Completely Renewable and Recyclable “Green” Composites for Automotive Industry EU Directive 2000/53/EC on End-Of-Life Vehicles: Aims: • Reduce the amount of waste produced from vehicles when they are scrapped. • Limit the use of hazardous substances and increase the quantity of recycled material used in the manufacture of vehicles. • Encourage producers to design vehicles for easy recycling • Ensure producers pay all or a significant part of the costs of free take- back of no or negative value vehicles to treatment facilities (since 2007). • Set recovery and recycling targets for producers to achieve by 1 January 2006 and 1 January 2015 Target (2015): • reuse and recovery: 95 % by an average weight per vehicle and year. • reuse and recycling: 85 % by an average weight per vehicle and year. Completely Renewable and Recyclable “Green” Composites for Automotive Industry Henry Ford’s Model-T Hemp panels Hemp ethanol fuel Hemp plastic panels said to be 30% lighter than a steel Impact strength was 10 times stronger than Source: http://www.corbisimages.com/stock-photo/rights-managed/U1776993/henry- fords-soybean-car steel Completely Renewable and Recyclable “Green” Composites for Automotive Industry Green composites Advantages: Environmentally friendly Light Recyclable Good sound insulation Renewable recourses Favourable mechanical properties Challenges: Hydrophilic Poor fibre/matrix bonding Improvement of strength and toughness Cost-effective processing techniques Completely Renewable and Recyclable “Green” Composites for Automotive Industry Current Application Interior parts: Exterior parts: . various panels . the Mercedes-Benz Travego . shelves Coach: flax reinforced . trim parts engine/transmission cover; . brake shoes . Mercedes-Benz A-Class: the spare wheel compartment cover Car’s manufactures: Source: http://www.globalhemp.com/2011/02/automotive-composites.html Completely Renewable and Recyclable “Green” Composites for Automotive Industry Green Composites NATURAL FIBRES BIOPOLYMERS Completely Renewable and Recyclable “Green” Composites for Automotive Industry Natural Fibres (1) VEGETABLE ANIMAL MINERAL BAST: WOOL AND HAIR: ASBESTOS flax, kenaf, hemp, jute, sheep, camel, goat, ramie, isora horse, rabbit GLASS LEAF: SILK: MINERAL WOOL sisal, abaca, curaua, palm natural, spider silk SEEDS: BASALT coton, coir, kapok, soya CERAMIC FRUIT: luffa ALUMINIUM GRASS: CARBON Bamboo, totora SILICATE WOOD: hardwood, softwood BORATE Completely Renewable and Recyclable “Green” Composites for Automotive Industry Natural Fibres (2) Excellent choice for specific automotive application: Flax Kenaf Hemp Jute Curaua Advantages (in comparison with glass fibres) . The production of natural fibres is less hazardous . Possible reduction of polymer base content . Fewer emissions in the manufacturing stage of the eco-composite part . Production of more fuel efficient cars due to low density of natural fibres Completely Renewable and Recyclable “Green” Composites for Automotive Industry Biopolymers THERMOSETS THERMOPLASTICS Obtained from natural oils Polylactic acid (PLA) (e.g. soybean, castor, linseed) • derived from raw materials (e.g.corn) • good strength properties Low cost • but brittle Polyhydroxyalcanoates (PHA) Availability in large quantity • produced by bacteria fermentation • high melting point Renewability • stiffer but brittle Thermoplastic starch Environmentally friendliness • produced from corn, potato or wheat Good tensile strength and flexural • sensitive to humidity properties • often used to “extend” other polymers Completely Renewable and Recyclable “Green” Composites for Automotive Industry Processing of Natural Fibres PHYSICAL TREATMENT CHEMICAL TREATMENT Corona or plasma treatment: Silane, alkaline, enzyme improvement of mechanical treatment, acetylation, maleated properties coupling : increasing adhesion of NF with effect of hydrophobicity matrix, improvement thermal stability BUT: large quantities of hazardous chemicals are usually involved in the process; high costs of the complicated techniques Completely Renewable and Recyclable “Green” Composites for Automotive Industry Nanoparticles Adding nanoparticles into matrix: Possible to use sawdust, wood dust and cellulose nanofibres Very little material is needed (typically <2vol%) Improvement of mechanical properties Nanoparticles non-uniform distribution Chemical pre-treatment is Source: H. Qian, E. S. Greenhalgh, M. S. P. Shaffer, and A. necessary in case of Bismarck, “Carbon nanotube-based hierarchical nanocellulose composites: a review,” Completely Renewable and Recyclable “Green” Composites for Automotive Industry Nanoparticles Grafting: Nanocellulose attached onto hemp and sisal surfaces (Hierarchical structures) Improvement of matrix dominated properties, such as interlaminar shear strength Improvement of fibre/matrix interface Improvement of water Source: H. Qian, E. S. Greenhalgh, M. S. P. Shaffer, and A. resistance Bismarck, “Carbon nanotube-based hierarchical composites: a review,” Conclusions 1. Green composites are eco-friendly and economical materials 2. The application of green composites is possible in the automotive industry 3. Action should be undertaken in solving challenges related to green composites (moisture absorption, poor fibre/matrix interaction) 4. Grafting of eco-nanoparticles could be the best solution for material property improvement 5. Traditional manufacturing techniques can be used to produce green composites (e.g. RTM, compression and injection moulding) Completely Renewable and Recyclable “Green” Composites for Automotive Industry Thank you for attention! Questions? Completely Renewable and Recyclable “Green” Composites for Automotive Industry.