Completely Renewable and Recyclable “Green” Composites for ... · Completely Renewable and Recyclable “Green” Composites for Automotive Industry. THERMOSETS. THERMOPLASTICS

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

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,”

7-8 million tonnes of automotive waste every year in European Union

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 steelSource: http://www.corbisimages.com/stock-photo/rights-managed/U1776993/henry-

fords-soybean-car

Completely Renewable and Recyclable “Green” Composites for Automotive

Industry

Green compositesAdvantages:

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 ApplicationInterior parts: Exterior parts:

the Mercedes-Benz TravegoCoach: flax reinforced engine/transmission cover;

Mercedes-Benz A-Class:the spare wheel compartment cover

various panels shelves trim parts brake shoes

Car’s manufactures:

Source: http://www.globalhemp.com/2011/02/automotive-composites.html

Completely Renewable and Recyclable “Green” Composites for Automotive

Industry

Green Composites

Completely Renewable and Recyclable “Green” Composites for Automotive

Industry

NATURAL FIBRES

BIOPOLYMERS

Natural Fibres (1)VEGETABLE

BAST:flax, kenaf, hemp, jute, ramie, isora

LEAF:sisal, abaca, curaua, palm

SEEDS:coton, coir, kapok, soya

FRUIT:luffa

GRASS:Bamboo, totora

WOOD:hardwood, softwood

ANIMAL

WOOL AND HAIR:sheep, camel, goat, horse, rabbit

SILK:natural, spider silk

MINERAL

ASBESTOS

GLASS

MINERAL WOOL

BASALT

CERAMIC

ALUMINIUM

CARBON

SILICATE

BORATE

Completely Renewable and Recyclable “Green” Composites for Automotive

Industry

Natural Fibres (2)

Completely Renewable and Recyclable “Green” Composites for Automotive

Industry

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

Excellent choice for specific automotive application:Flax Kenaf Hemp Jute Curaua

Biopolymers

Completely Renewable and Recyclable “Green” Composites for Automotive

Industry

THERMOSETS THERMOPLASTICS

Obtained from natural oils(e.g. soybean, castor, linseed)

Low cost

Availability in large quantity

Renewability

Environmentally friendliness

Good tensile strength and flexural properties

Polylactic acid (PLA)• derived from raw materials (e.g.corn) • good strength properties• but brittle

Polyhydroxyalcanoates (PHA)• produced by bacteria fermentation• high melting point• stiffer but brittle

Thermoplastic starch• produced from corn, potato or

wheat• sensitive to humidity• often used to “extend” other

polymers

Processing of Natural FibresPHYSICAL TREATMENT CHEMICAL TREATMENT

BUT: large quantities of hazardous chemicals are usually involved in the process; high costs of the complicated techniques

Corona or plasma treatment: improvement of mechanical

properties

effect of hydrophobicity

Silane, alkaline, enzyme treatment, acetylation, maleatedcoupling : increasing adhesion of NF with

matrix, improvement thermal stability

Completely Renewable and Recyclable “Green” Composites for Automotive

Industry

Nanoparticles

Source: H. Qian, E. S. Greenhalgh, M. S. P. Shaffer, and A. Bismarck, “Carbon nanotube-based hierarchical composites: a review,”

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 necessary in case of nanocellulose

Completely Renewable and Recyclable “Green” Composites for Automotive

Industry

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 resistance

Nanoparticles

Source: H. Qian, E. S. Greenhalgh, M. S. P. Shaffer, and A. Bismarck, “Carbon nanotube-based hierarchical composites: a review,”

Conclusions1. 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