Covestro says that it has been chosen by Toyota to help develop a polyurethane composite foam material for the LQ electric car.
The material, which incorporates Covestro's Baypreg F NF technology and Toyota’s kenaf fibers, will be use in the LQ’s door trims, Covestro says.
According to the company, Kenaf is part of the hibiscus genus and is growing in regions such as South East Asia, Bangladesh, India and Africa. The fiber is obtained from bast fibers of the kenaf plant and has recently attracted attention as a cost-effective raw material with good mechanical properties, and an alternative raw material for use in the automotive industry.
The kenaf fiber-reinforced polyurethane foam composite has a density of less than 1 kg/m2 and high strength, making the door trim 30% lighter than that produced from conventional materials, Covestro says.
‘Our joint development makes an important contribution to the design of particularly lightweight and sustainable vehicles,’ said Hiroaki Ido, head of polyurethanes at Covestro's Japanese innovation center.
This story uses material from Covestro, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
