Industry News
Mitsubishi Motors develops plant-based resin for use in interiors
20th Febuary 2006
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, in cooperation with the Aichi Industrial Technology Institute, has developed an automotive interior material which uses a plant-based resin, polybutylene succinate (PBS), combined with bamboo fibre. Parts made from the material will be used in the interior of a new-concept minicar, to be launched in Japan in fiscal 2007. Mitsubishi Motors has called its resin technology, including this product, "Green Plastics".
PBS, the main component of the material, is a plant-based resin composed mainly of succinic acid and 1,4-butanediol. The succinic acid for the material will be created through the fermentation of sugar extracted from sugar cane or corn.
The new material combines bamboo fibre with PBS in order to increase its rigidity. Since bamboo grows to its full height much faster than traditional timber, MMC says it may be called a potentially sustainable resource.
According to tests reported by MMC, its PBS/bamboo-fibre prototype achieves an estimated 50% cut in lifecycle CO2 emissions over polypropylene. VOC (volatile organic compounds) levels are also reduced drastically over processed wood hardboards (roughly 85% in testing).
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