Electric care specialist TU/Ecomotive has built what it says is the world's first car made from biocomposites. It has been made using combination of biobased composites and bioplastics to create lightweight chassis. The bio-based composite is made from flax, which shows a strength/weight ratio similar to that of glass fiber, but differs regarding sustainability.
The car also features bioplastic honeycomb developed by sandwich material specialist EconCore. The honeycomb core made of PLA – 100% biodegradable resin derived from sugar beets – is placed in-between two flax fiber composite sheets to provide a sandwich panel effect of high stiffness and strength at minimal weight.
According to TU/Ecomotive – the student team of Eindhoven University of Technology – the concept has the potential to reduce the carbon footprint compared to other lightweight materials used in the industry.
This story is reprinted from material from EconCore, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
