Report
Teaser, summary, work performed and final results
Periodic Reporting for period 1 - BIOMOTIVE (Advanced BIObased polyurethanes and fibres for the autoMOTIVE industry with increased environmental sustainability)
Teaser
Automotive manufacturers are under growing pressure to either use less fuel or go further on same battery charge. Much of this improved performance will come from making cars lighter – lightweighting – i.e. decreasing the weight they need to move. Every 10% reduction in...
Summary
Automotive manufacturers are under growing pressure to either use less fuel or go further on same battery charge. Much of this improved performance will come from making cars lighter – lightweighting – i.e. decreasing the weight they need to move. Every 10% reduction in vehicle weight delivers a 5-7 percent reduction in fuel usage.
As a result, manufacturers are showing increasing interest in lightweight material; a noticeable fraction (around 20%) of modern cars is made of plastic and such an amount is expected to increase thanks to the recognized properties of polymers in absorbing sound and vibration. Despite these advantages, there is no single bio-based plastic that provides the aesthetics and haptics that the automotive manufacturers seek in tandem with the technical properties (shock resistance, heat resistance, fire resistance and weight reduction) they require.
The BIOMOTIVE project aims to demonstrate, in relevant industrial environments, the production of innovative and advanced bio-based materials (i.e. thermoplastic polyurathanes, 2-k thermoset polyurethane foams and regenerated natural fibres) specifically for the automotive industry.
The BIOMOTIVE project has a number of objectives:
From a scientific and technological perspective, it intends to demonstrate the production of biobased raw materials and building blocks for the subsequent application in the formulation of biobased polyesters-polyols and bio-based thermoplastic TPUs.
From a final application validation perspective, BIOMOTIVE aims to validate, on an industrial scale, the bio-based polymers in producing interior fascia or door handles of cars, the foams for production of bio-based seats and the regenerated fibre for producing bio-based textile for covering vehicles seats.
From an environmental, safety and resource efficiency perspective, BIOMOTIVE aims to reduce primary energy consumption and GHG emission of the developed processes and improve the recyclability of the end-of-life bio-products through eco-design strategies.
From a socio-economic perspective, BIOMOTIVE aims to create new jobs in the bio-based, green chemistry sectors and agricultural sectors, while paving the way for additional investments in the bio-based economy.
Based on work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the first reporting period the above objectives are still relevant.
Work performed
The BIOMOTIVE project consist of 9 Work Packages (WPs). All Work Packages are well underway without obstacles so far.
During the first reporting period (RP1), WP1 activities focused on the optimization and implementation of chemical and biotechnological processes for production of vegetable oils and biobased building blocks to be later used as biobased raw materials for the synthesis of biobased TPUs, 2k PU foams and NIPUs. WP leader has set-up and validated protocols (both for upstream and downstream processes) to obtain samples at different purity levels of biobased diols, biobased dicarboxylic acids and vegetable oils from low input oil crops. Samples of the different biobased raw materials have been provided to WP3 to get the feedback that has been essential to optimize the production protocols. A specific attention has been paid to adjust the downstream processes to the degree of purity required by the applications developed inside Biomotive project as well as to optimize process parameters towards increasing yield and productivity. Moreover the feasibility of using off-gas from fermentation processes as feedstock for further chemical conversion has started to be investigated.
WP2 activities focused on the development of the novel process for producing regenerated fibres from paper-grade wood pulp.
First 18 months of Biomotive project (RP1) has passed and it has been an intensive time for all involved in WP3. Researchers, among others, have developed synthesis technology allowing production of polyesters from bio-based raw materials. So far two types of polyesters have been made with 100% and 60% bio content. Optimizations in the polymer structure will be done according to the feedback from research groups working on the final materials. Current works are focused on optimizing the properties of the resulting material to better fit the end application requirements. At the end car interior parts will be done from material manufactured in this WP. Moreover, the first bio-based flexible foams have been made in WP3. Available formulations have been tested and the appropriate properties for car seating foam have been determined. To have a completely 100% bio-base polyurethane one would need to exclude the isocyanates. That is why in WP3 an innovative non-isocyanate polyurethanes (NIPUs) have been developed.
WP3 is key in transforming the bio-based raw materials into raw materials for car parts manufacturers.
WP4 will demonstrate the feasibility of scaling up production of biobased building blocks regenerated fibres, bio-based PU foams and 2k PU foams, as well bio-based PU foams and 2k PU foams reinforced with natural fibres. During RP1, the conceptual design with elements of a feasibility study for the construction of the part of the abovementioned demonstration plants were prepared.
WP 5 will validate the obtained raw materials into final applications: bio-based TPUs and reinforced TPUs for automotive interior parts, bio-based PU foams and reinforced PU foams for automotive seats, regenerated fibres for technical textiles for automotive seats. During RP1, among others, the responsible partners evaluated different parts of the interior of the car, in order to evaluate which parts would be interesting to have with haptic high-added value. The interior part was selected as the product to test the new bio materials which will be developed in the project.
WP 6 activities focused on defining the strategy and measures for standardizing the developed product and processes.
WP7 covers dissemination and exploitation activities, in order to promote the project’s results as widely as possible and to all relevant stakeholders, exchanging important feedback and comments on the expected outcomes, and to ensure that any intellectual property generated during the project will be properly managed and exploited. During RP1, among others, these activities included the creation of a website and social accounts such as facebook, twitter, instag
Final results
BIOMOTIVE expects the project will deliver the following impacts:
• Demonstrate the improved mechanical and functional properties of the developed products against the products already available in the market.
• A total reduction in GHG emissions of up to 58% for the final products through formulating bio-based PUs and foams with bio-based monomers with improved environmental profile
• Potential creation of approx. 400 new jobs in the biobased sector.
Website & more info
More info: https://biomotive.info/.