|
The new S-Class cars put on sale by DaimlerChrysler (DCX) in December 2005 have 43 kg in total (27 parts) that are made from plant-based and other recyclable materials. This represents a 1.75-fold increase from 24.6 kg (32 parts) from the previous S-Class models.
The use of plant-based materials in automobiles has been limited, in times other than the very early days of automotive history, to wood panels in luxury cars or the (recycled) cotton (used as cushions) and paper (air filters). However, in the mid-1990s, DCX began positive use of various types of hemps and coconut fibers as a result of the rise of global environmental concerns. Toyota began using Kenaf in 2000.
Plants that make plant-based materials grow by absorbing air-borne carbon dioxides (CO2). They will emit CO2 when they are disposed of or burned after use but do not contribute to an increase in the total amount of CO2 on earth. For this reason, plant-based materials are considered carbon-neutral and recyclable resources. In addition, they are lighter in weight than iron or glass fibers and, when used as a substitute for petro-based materials, can help save oil resources that are one day bound to be exhausted.
(Note) Oil and other petrochemical resources derive from ancient organisms but are resources that have been accumulated over billions years and are not recyclable within the life cycle of humans. Therefore, they too are limited resources that are bound to exhaustion and are not carbon-neutral either.
DCX is expanding the use of plant-based materials. Their use of recyclable materials has increased to 23 kg in 26 parts of the new A-Class launched in 2004 (compared to 12 kg in 27 parts in the previous models) and 30 kg in 50 parts in the new E-Class launched in 2002 (compared to 20.5 kg in 21 parts in the previous models).
Toyota is also using Kenaf in an
increasing number of its vehicle models. In addition, Toyota used plant-based
plastics ("Eco Plastics" in Toyota terminology) in the new Raum launched
in 2003, which marked the first application for automotive use in the
world.
Toyota has announced plans to use Eco Plastics and other recyclable resources and recycled materials in 15% of the resin components by 2010 (the fourth Environment Initiative disclosed in May 2005) and the use of recyclable resources in Toyota vehicles is likely to increase.
In addition, similar plans to use plant-based plastics were announced by Mitsubishi Motors, Honda and Mazda. Among material manufacturers, Toray is making active efforts to develop automotive and other applications of plant-based plastics. In the US, DuPont will start full-scale use of plant-based plastics in automotive and other areas in 2007.
The use of plant-based materials, made from corns, sugar canes etc., has been limited to cushions, reinforcements, filling materials etc., but, once mass production technology is established, the use of plant-based materials may extend to plastic matrix of automotive parts.
■DaimlerChrysler: 43 kg of recyclable materials used in 27 components in the new S-Class
| Renewable raw material |
Application |
| Wood fiber |
Door lining inner section front, rear;
covering driver's seat backrest incl. injection molded retaining hock |
| Cotton, wool |
Insulation, wheel arch lining front, rear;cocers of seats |
| Flax fiber |
Covering parcel shelf, cover rear trunk |
| Coconut fiber, natural latex |
Front seats' backrest |
| Wood veneer |
Trim strip, trim panels |
| Olive kernels |
Activated charcoal filter |
| Paper |
Filter elements |
| Source: DaimlerChrysler Sustainability Report |
| (Note) |
The new S-Class, put on the market in December 2005, uses coconut fibers resulting from the Marajo Island Forest Regeneration Initiative that began in 1992 as part of the POEMA Project. The project, aimed at the regeneration of both the local community and the environment, has become a business model of DCX's use of plant-based materials such as sisal in South Africa and abaca from the Philippines. |
■DaimlerChrysler: Expanded use of recyclable materials in M-Benz models
| |
Launch year |
Use of recyclable materials |
Use of recyclable plastics in previous models |
| Amount of use |
(Reference) Use of recyclable plastics |
| C-Class |
2000 |
22 kg in 33 parts |
|
|
| E-Class |
2002 |
30 kg in over 50 parts |
20.5 kg in 21 parts |
21 kg (12.1%) |
| A-Class |
2004 |
23 kg in 26 parts |
11.9 kg in 27 parts |
12 kg (11%) |
| S-Class |
2005 |
43 kg in 27 parts |
24.6 kg in 32 parts |
20.4 kg (6.5%) |
| Source: DaimlerChrysler 2000~05 Environmental Report |
| (Notes) 1. |
Amounts of recycled plastics in the previous models are given for comparison with the amount of recyclable materials. Figures in parentheses represent ratios to total amount of plastics. |
| 2. |
The C-Class launched in 2000 rear window shelves etc., made from materials consisting of South African sisal and cotton hardened in phenol resins. |
| 3. |
The E-Class launched in 2002 use the following: Door trims and driver's backrest cover made from flax fiber and sisal; seat backrests and seat cushions made from coconut fibers and synthetic rubber; trim strips and panels made from wood veneer; seat covers and headrest covers made from wool and cotton; sound insulation, seat cushions and parcel shelves made from sisal (mixed with cotton and used as a reinforcement of plastic matrix); trunk lining system made from layered sisal fibers glued together by recycled plastics. |
| 4. |
The A-Class launched in 2004 marks the first use of abaca from the Philippines as a substitute for fiber glass used in making the spare wheel recess cover. Use is limited to certain versions but the company is seeking ways to use abaca in all versions of A-Class and B-Class. Abaca is a shrub that grows in the Philippines and belongs to the same genus as bananas. Also known as Manila hemp. |
| 5. |
DCX's use of plant-based materials is limited primarily to synthesization of natural fibers and oil-derived plastics. The company's first use of plant-based materials dates back to 1994 to the interior trim parts made from flax and sisal fibers. |
| 6. |
DCX also uses plant-based materials in exterior components as well. In early 2000s, DCX conducted demonstration tests of underbody panels made from flax fibers and polypropylene on the A-Class. Outcome of the tests are unknown. |
■Plant-based plastics planned for full-scale use by Mitsubishi Motors in 2006 and Honda in 2009
In June 2006, Mitsubishi Motors announced that the company would introduce, before the year's end, floor mats that are made from poly lactic acid (PLA) resin which is a type of plant-based plastics. The company also plans to use interiors, made from plant-based polybutylene succinate (PBS), in its new mini cars.
The PLA resin will be synthesized with nylon fiber while the PBS resin will be synthesized with bamboo fiber. Most of the plant materials that DCX uses are synthetic materials consisting of plant and petro-derived plastics. In contrast, Mitsubishi Motors' plan represents attempts to explore 100% or broad application of plant-based materials as in Toyota's Eco Plastics.
■Mitsubishi Motors: Introducing floor mats in 2006 that combine plant-based PLA resins and nylon
| Mitsubishi Motors, in collaboration with Toray, has developed floor mats made from plant-based polylactic acid (PLA) and combined with nylon resin to increase durability. The company will begin commercial application of the floor mats within 2006 before the market application of the interior components that the company has also developed (announced in February 2006) combining polybutylene succinate (PBS) and bamboo fiber. |
| PLA is made from lactic acid manufactured by fermentation of sugars from sugar canes and corns. PLA is a carbon-neutral plant-based material that does not contribute to increasing the amount of airborne CO2, and will be used to form the pile of the floor mat surface. Modifiers will be used to improve resistance against wear and light and the PLA will be combined with nylon resin fibers to improve durability to the necessary level. |
| The CO2 emission of the trial product represents an approximately 40% reduction over the entire life cycle, from raw material to disposal, compared to the conventional products made primarily from nylon fibers. Extra efforts were made, for instance by laminating the surface and backing layers without using adhesives, to reduce the amount of VOC (volatile organic compounds) to less than 50% of the conventional products. |
| Source: Mitsubishi Motors' press release of June 22 2006 |
| (Note) |
To make polylactic acid, the saccharified solution obtained from decomposition of the starch content of the plant, is fermented in lactic acid, and the proteins and ammonias that generated during the lactic acid fermentation process are removed (refined) and then the lactic acids are bound together (polymerization). Corns, sugar canes and rice are usually used as raw materials although, in principle, grains that are not considered edible, fruits, wood refuse, weeds, fallen leaves, kitchen refuse and virtually any other raw materials that are fermentable in lactic acids can be used to make PLA. |
■Mitsubishi Moors: Automotive interior components to be adopted in FY2007 combining plant-based PBS and bamboo fiber
| Mitsubishi Motors has developed automotive interior components, with the cooperation of Aichi Industrial Technology Institute, made from polybutylene succinate (PBS) resin that can be produced from plant-based material and other sources, in combination with bamboo fiber (development started in 2004). The company will start using the interior parts using the developed components, that may be used in roofs and door lining, in the new mini car to be launched in FY2007 (successor to the Pajero Mini). |
| PBS, the main material of the new components, is a plant-based resin primarily consisting of succinic acid and 1, 4-butanediol. The company plans to make succinic acid from sugar cane and corn sugars by means of fermentation while, at the present, the company plans to use 1, 4-butanediol derived from petroleum. In future, Mitsubishi Motor will manufacture 1,4-butanediol from succinic acid by reduction, which means the PBS can become 100% plant-based material. Mitsubishi Chemical, Showa Highpolymer and other chemicals companies are engaged in the development of the material. |
| Bamboo fibers are used to increase the rigidity of PBS which is a soft resin. Bamboo grows commonly in Japan, China and Southeast Asia and matures in several years, which makes bamboo more easily obtainable than the ordinary wood resources. |
| The CO2 emission of the trial product represents approximately 50% reduction over the entire life cycle, from raw material to disposal, compared to polypropylene (PP), a petro-derived resin used quite commonly today. The amount of VOC (volatile organic compounds) emission can also be reduced significantly compared to the conventional wood-based hardboard. The trial product registered approximately 85% reduction. |
| Source: Mitsubishi Motors' press release of Feb.14 2006, etc. |
| (Notes) 1. |
Mitsubishi Motors has a generic term of "Green Plastics" for the plant-based resin technology and is promoting development of new materials accordingly. The company hopes to use them as substitute materials for petro-derived resins, wood-based hardboard etc., as soon as they become available. |
| 2. |
PBS-based plastics vary widely in terms of types and manufacturing methods and, at present, are synthesized mainly from petrochemical resources.PBS is also used commonly, along with PLA, for making biodegradable plastics. |
In May 2006, Honda Motor, too, announced plans to use interior trim surface materials made from plant-based plastics, in the new electric vehicles to be launched within three years, and that the company would expand such use to other models as well. The surface material to be adopted by Honda is also a synthetic material made from plant-based plastics and petro-derived plastics. Once the material is manufactured in large quantities, the company claims that its cost may be less than that of the conventional material (the main component of Honda's plant-based plastics is the same as that of the plant-based high-function resin that DuPont is about to start full production of in 2007).
■Honda: Biofabric, an surface material for interior trim, to be adopted first on electric vehicles in 2009
| Honda has developed biofabric, a durable and light-resisting plant-based fiber to be used as the surface material of automotive interior trims. Since the raw material, plant, absorbs CO2 during the process of its growth, it does not increase the total CO2 on earth when it is disposed of in an incinerator. However, it was not readily used for commercial purposes because it somewhat lacked in durability and texture. |
| The newly-developed biofabric has soft and smooth texture and has enough resistance against wear and light overextended use as a surface material of seats. It may be used also as a surface material of doors and roofs, or as floor mats. Honda plans to start using biofabric on its new electric vehicle within the next three years and on other models as well starting with the 2009 models. |
| The biofabric is made from polyester-based PPT (polypropylene terephthalate), made by the polymerization of 1-3 PDO (Propanediol) made from corn and terephthalic acid made from petroleum. The resulting fibers are twisted together to get enough stability required of a cloth and the unprecedentedly fine texture was achieved from the fiber's unique flexibility. The biofabric consists of 40% corn-derived component and 60% petroleum-derived component. |
| Since the biofabric uses plant-based components in the course of raw material manufacture, the energy necessary for manufacture can be reduced by 10-15% and the amount of CO2 emission by approximately 5% per automobile compared to the conventional surface material made from petro-derived material. It can be manufactured without modifying the existing cloth production line and can be produced in large quantities. For these reasons, cost reduction is expected once mass production gets under way. |
| Source: Honda's press release of May.25 2006, etc. |
| (Note) |
The corn-derived 1-3 PDO is also the main ingredient of the high-function resin to be produced in large scale by DuPont starting in 2007. |
■Mazda, too, has developed injection moldable plant-based plastics
In May 2006, Mazda Motor announced it has developed injection moldable plant-based plastics that may be used to make automotive interior trims, and that the company would start using the new material in commercial applications after a few years. The new material is a type of PLA, a typical plant-based plastic, with an increased resistance against heat and may be produced in large quantities.
■Mazda: Has developed sturdy, heat-resisting, injection moldable bioplastics for making interior trims
| In May 2006, Mazda Motor announced its joint development has resulted in the industry's first injection moldable plant-based plastics (bio plastics) that has cosmetic quality, strength and heat resistance required of automotive interior trim, and that the company would continue necessary research and development efforts toward commercial application in a few years. |
| The newly-developed bioplastics is made from corn (88%) and petroleum (12%). The polylactic acid (PLA), the main ingredient made from corn, is blended with newly-developed crystallization promoter and compatibility accelerator, thereby drastically increasing the strength and thermal resistance for use in automotive applications. The new material represents approximately three times higher strength (impact resistance) and 25% improvement in thermal resistance compared to the PLA resins currently used in making electric appliances, etc. |
| Since the new material uses fermentation of the starches and saccharides during the manufacturing process of raw materials, the necessary energy can be reduced by around 30% compared to polypropylene (PP), a representative petro-derived resin. Its high rigidity allows molding thin parts resulting in saving the amount of raw materials. Since parts can be manufactured by injection molding, the material is fit for mass production. |
| The R&D project started in 2004 under the support of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and with two universities, seven enterprises and two testing institutes. The project members other than Mazda are Hiroshima University, Nishikawa Rubber Co. Ltd., Western Hiroshima Prefecture Industrial Research Institute, GP Daikyo, Japan Steel Works, Kinki University (engineering), Nishikawa Kasei Co. Ltd., National Research Institute of Brewing, Yasuhara Chemical, and Manac Incorporated. |
| Source: Mazda's press release of May.11 2006, etc. |
| (Note) |
The crystallization promoter is used to accelerate the crystallization of the otherwise slow-crystallizing PLA (to increase production efficiency) and ensure orderly crystallization to increase strength and thermal resistance. The compatibility accelerator is used to evenly mix the PLA and the additives. The use of conventional injection molding of the PLA was limited to molding under 60℃ because of the low degree of crystallization. |
■Toyota operates a polylactic acid (PLA) resin plant since 2005 with the annual capacity of 1,000 tons
Toyota is promoting the use of Kenaf, initially started in 2000, to a wider range of its models. In 2003, the company launched the Raum having spare wheel cover made from 100% plant-based material combining the polylactic acid (PLA, plant-based plastics) and Kenaf.
■Toyota's use of natural materials: Use on new passenger cars introduced in the domestic market
| |
Launch |
Natural material |
Automotive use |
| Corolla sedan |
Aug. 2000 |
Kenaf |
Package tray trim material |
| Celsior |
Aug. 2000 |
Kenaf |
Door trim material, package tray material |
| Soarer |
Apr. 2001 |
Kenaf |
Door trim material |
| Brevis |
June 2001 |
Kenaf |
Door trim material |
| Windom |
Aug. 2001 |
Kenaf |
Package tray trim material |
| Camry |
Sep. 2001 |
Kenaf |
Package tray material |
| Premio/Allion |
Dec. 2001 |
Kenaf |
Package tray trim material |
| Wish |
Jan. 2003 |
Kenaf |
Door trim ornament |
| Harrier |
Feb. 2003 |
Kenaf |
Door trim material |
| Raum |
May 2003 |
Eco Plastic |
Spare wheel cover, floor mat |
| Crown Majesta |
July 2004 |
Kenaf |
Package tray |
| Sisal |
Roof head lining |
| Mark X |
Nov. 2004 |
Kenaf |
Package tray |
| Harrier Hybrid |
Mar. 2005 |
Kenaf |
Door trim material |
| Kluger Hybrid |
Mar. 2005 |
Kenaf |
Door trim material |
| (Lexus) GS |
Aug. 2005 |
Kenaf |
Package tray trim |
| (Lexus) IS |
Aug. 2005 |
Kenaf |
Package tray trim, door trim |
| (Lexus) SC |
Sep. 2005 |
Kenaf |
Door trim, quarter trim lower material, etc |
| (Lexus) GS450h |
Mar. 2006 |
Kenaf |
Package tray trim |
| (Lexus) LS460 |
Sep. 2006 |
Kenaf |
Package tray trim, door trim |
| Corolla Axio |
Oct. 2006 |
Kenaf |
Package tray trim, door trim |
| Sources: Toyota's environmental data by model, Toyota's social and environmental report, etc. |
| (Notes) 1. |
Kenaf is an annual herb of the mallow family that grows in the Temperate to Tropical Zones and grows very quickly (thus having a high CO2 absorption power). Sisal is a type of hemp. Eco Plastic is Toyota's name of a bioplastic made from plants. At present, it refers to polylactic acid (PLA). |
| 2. |
Toyota has not disclosed the use of Eco Plastic after the Raum in 2004, although the models in which Kenaf is used likely may be using composite materials made from Kenaf and Eco Plastic. |
| 3. |
Kenaf and sisal used in the Crown Majesta are also used in the same components in the new Crown Royal and Crown Athlete that were later put on the market. |
| 4. |
Among Toyota's commercial vehicles, boards made from Kenaf and hardened in place with resin recycled from used passenger car bumpers are used in part of the wooden deck of the new 2-ton class truck Dyna and Toyoace that were put on sale in June 2001. The same material is also used as reinforcement of the floor board of the micro-bus, Coaster that was remodeled in July 2001. |
In May 2005, Toyota began operation of a PLA plant with an annual capacity of 1,000 tons, to demonstrate the feasibility of achieving cost and quality targets toward the mass production of PLA. The company reportedly has a full-scale production plan of PLA in the future and use the product, Toyota Eco Plastic, in automotive and other applications.
■Toyota: Develops plant-based spare tire cover jointly with Toray, uses in the Raum launched in 2003
|
Toyota's new Raum, fully remodeled in March 2003, has spare tire cover made of Toyota Eco Plastic, a new material made from polylactic acid (PLA) deriving from sugar cane, corn and other plants, co-developed by Toray (PLA is also used in the floor mat available at dealers).
|
| The spare tire cover is hardboard made of PLA fiber and Kenaf, a natural fiber, mixed homogeneously and formed under heat and pressure. The mixing ratio and the methods of compression and heating were carefully chosen to make a new, 100% plant-based material without losing the designed performance of the conventional product. |
| According to Toray announcement, Raum marks the world's first application of PLA to automotive use. The floor mat is made of BCF (bulked continuous filament), a material made by using spinning, special dying and other sophisticated processes that Toray has developed with chemical fibers, that meets all requirements of automotive flooring material. The same technology can be applied to the development of door trim, seats, ceiling, lining mat and other interior components, and Toray announced that the company would increase the lineup of automotive components made from PLA. |
Sources: Toyota's press release of May.12 2003, Toray's press release of May.13 2003
(Note) Araco (today's Toyota Boshoku) and Toyota Tsusho were other members of the Toyota and Toray joint development project.
■Toyota: Begins operating a 1,000-t/year demonstration plant of bioplastics in May 2005
| In May 2005, Toyota began operating a plant with an annual capacity of 1,000 tons, to demonstrate the feasibility of achieving cost and quality targets toward the mass production of polylactic acid (PLA) for making bioplastics. The product will be used to make automotive components. In addition, Toyota reportedly will market the new material under the trade name of "Toyota Eco Plastic U'z" for making food trays, hangers, pencil cases and other general-purpose resin products. |
| According to the demonstration plant plan Toyota disclosed in 2003, the plant is designed for streamlined production, using sugar canes, from the fermentation and refining of lactic acid to the polymerization of polylactic acids. Toyota invested 2.3 billion Yen in the plant (built within Toyota Body's 5,000 square meter premises; originally slated for operation starting in August 2004). Toyota inherited the PLA business from Shimadzu Corporation in 2002 and is said to be working toward a full-scale production of PLA in the future. |
| It was once said that the sweet potato business that Toyota has been promoting in Indonesia since 2001 (Toyota 90%, Mitsui & Co. 10%) was also meant as a source of raw material for the bioplastics business. It is said now that the company changed its mind and chose sugar cane instead as the new raw material for the demonstration plant in order to eliminate the saccharization process thereby minimizing the manufacturing energy consumption of the plant. Incidentally, Toyota's sweet potato business ended FY2005 with the cultivation area of 410 ha and sweet potato crop of 4,100 tons (7,500 tons targeted for FY2008). |
| Sources: Toyota Sustainability Report 2006, Toyota's press release of July 24 2003, etc. |
| (Note) |
The material cost of the PLA-based product is said to be 2 to 5-times higher at present than the cost of petro-derived plastics. The "Biomass Nippon General Strategy (original plan modified in March 2006 after the promulgation of the Kyoto Protocol)" that was decided upon by the Cabinet in December 2002 included a targeted production cost of PLA and other promotable bioplastics to be about twice that of the petro-derived plastics as of 2010. If the use of the new material is expanded to the highly demanding automotive use, it could be used in a broad range of markets that are less demanding. When this becomes a reality, the cost may well fall below that of the petro-derived plastics even in consideration of the possible increase of the oil prices. |
■Toray vigorous about developing use for PLA while DuPont starts full production of plant-based plastics
Material manufacturers are also making vigorous efforts to develop use for plant-based plastics. The PLA is a representative of such materials and is one of the biodegradable plastics that are naturally decomposed into CO2 and water by microbes that exist in nature. As such, efforts to develop use for PLA have been limited to those that utilize the natural decomposition phenomenon. More recently, however, material manufacturers are making vigorous efforts to develop use as a carbon-neutral material.
Toray, having developed PLA-based automotive interior materials jointly with Toyota and Mitsubishi Motors, has plans to drastically expand its PLA business for automotive and other areas. The company is said to be targeting 25 billion Yen in sales from PLA products in FY2010.
■Toray: Planning a drastic expansion of polylactic acid business to automotive markets
| In January 2003, Toray, having developed polylactic acid (PLA)-based automotive interior materials jointly with Toyota and Mitsubishi Motors, announced plans to fully develop its PLA-based fiber business to annual volume of 4,000 tons and sales of 10 billion Yen by around 2005. In April 2004, Toray entered into an inclusive agreement with Cargill Dow, a US company, with regard to the manufacture and marketing of PLA fibers, including brands, technical licensing and supplies of PLA chips (allowing Toray to manufacture and market PLA in Asia and Europe). |
| (Development of injection molding technology) In February 2003, Toray announced that it had developed PLA nano-alloys using its polymer structural control method of nano-technology. The PLA nano-alloys have far higher cristallinity, making it possible to produce molded parts having resistance against high temperatures over 100℃ by the conventional injection molding process. Until now, the use of the PLA was limited due to the lack of necessary thermal resistance and durability. Toray claims that the new technology makes it possible to use the PLA for making electric and electronic parts, automotive components and other items that require high-performance plastics. |
| In July 2004, Toray announced the company had developed, for the first time in the world, a highly flexible PLA film using film microstructure control technology. The newly-developed PLA film excels in flexibility, transparency, thermal resistance and biodegradability. The company plans to use the film as soft wrapping and other packaging materials, building materials, and protection of electric and electronic parts or automotive components, and even for industrial materials such as process film. |
| In January 2005, Toray and Fujitsu announced that a new inflammable, heat-resisting and highly moldable material consisting of 50% PLA and petro-derived resins was used to make the large case of Fujitsu's 2005 spring model notebook type personal computer (PLA had been used since June 2002 to make small parts of the notebook PC's casing). (UNITICA and NEC, too, announced in January 2005 that they had made notebook type PC parts made from 100% plant-based material consisting of PLA and Kenaf.) |
| With the above-mentioned efforts, Toray's targeted sales from PLA products in FY2010 is said to be 25 billion yen. Reportedly, UNITICA has set its target of sales of PLA products at 8,000 to 10,000 tons while Kuraray has an annual target of 5,000 tons in the future. |
Sources: Toray's press release of 03.1.23/03.2.28/03.4.25/04.7.5/05.1.13, etc.
■Mitsui Chemicals and Toray allied with Cargill Dow for polylactic acid businesses
| The pioneer of polylactic acid (PLA) business on a commercial basis was Cargill Dow LLC, a US corporation equally owned by Cargill, a crop major, and Dow Chemical. The company built a 5,000 tons/year plant in 1994, and a 140,000 tons/year plant in 2001. In Japan, Shimadzu Corporation began pilot production with the annual scale of 100 tons in 1994 (this company transferred the business to Toyota in 2002) while Mitsui Chemicals started its pilot production in 1996 with the annual scale of 500 tons. |
| When PLA first appeared in the market, it drew attention as a biodegradable plastic material that is decomposed into CO2 and water by microbes that exist in nature, rather than as a carbon-neutral material. Toward the end of the 1990s, UNITICA, Kuraray, Kanebo (later inherited business to Toray) and Mitsubishi Plastics began commercialization of PLA in agricultural, civil engineering, packaging and container applications using PLA supplied by Cargill Dow. |
| In 2001, Mitsui Chemicals allied with Cargill Dow for PLA business development purposes. Upon obtaining rights to develop and market Cargill Dow's PLA in Japan, the company started importing and marketing on a full-scale basis (in 2002, Asahi Kasei, too, began its PLA business primarily in the film market using PLA supplied by Mitsui Chemicals). In 2003, Toray entered into an inclusive agreement with Cargill Dow with regard to the PLA fibers. |
Sources: Mitsui Chemicals' press release of September 26 2001, etc.
PLA, typical plant-based plastics, is supplied primarily by Cargill Dow, an American company. In 2007, DuPont, also an American company, will start full-scale production of high-function resin made from different plants than those used to make PLA, which will help diversify the supply system of plant-based plastics. DuPont claims that its high-function resin can be applied broadly to automotive use and that the company has taken a giant step toward its environmental target of getting 25% of its sales from non-exhaustible resources by 2010.
■DuPont: Starting production of high-function resin using recyclable resources and applicable to automotive use in 2007
| DuPont's engineering polymer division announced its plans, at the International Plastics Showcase (National Plastics EXPO 2006) held in June 2006, its plans to produce high-function, thermoplastic resins and elastomer products from recyclable resources. |
| The new products are Sorona polymers and Hytrel elastomers made from recyclable resources (both are DuPont's trademarks). The main ingredient of Sorona, scheduled for production starting in mid-2007, is Bio-PDO (DuPont's trademark) made from corn sugars and will replace 1,3 propanediol (PDO: trivalent alcohol) and 1,4 butanediol (tetravalent alcohol) that are currently produced from petroleum. Hytrel, slated for production in the 4th quarter of 2007, will be manufactured from DuPont Polyol using Bio-PDO. |
| Sonora and Hytrel, both produced from recyclable resources, have the same or higher performance than the currently available petro-derived products. Hytrel has better temperature characteristics and elastic recovery than the petro-derived products, which makes it applicable to a very broad range of use that include automotive and industrial hoses and tubes (made by extrusion molding), automotive CVJ boots (made by blow molding) and airbags and energy dampers (made by injection molding). |
Source: DuPont's press release of June 23 2006
(Note) DuPont has announced its environment target to obtain 25% of its sales from non-exhaustible resources by 2010.
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