Automotive brake materials are made from scrap yard dates

Agricultural wastes from date palm can produce synthetic materials with low cost, durable, expected to change the automobile industry.

Scientists from the University of Portsmouth and Cambridge have successfully developed a new biomedical material from date biomass, said Phys. Materials that are durable, cheap and environmentally friendly, can be used as non-structural parts such as door linings and shock absorbers (cars) .

New materials are expected to change the automotive industry in the future. Photo: Phys.

The mechanical properties tests showed that the synthetic material was reinforced with threaded yarn, which had a significant improvement in durability and toughness compared to biological material from past agricultural waste. In addition, they are easy to recycle and can be completely decomposed in the natural environment, the advantage of which fiberglass or carbon fiber reinforced composites do not.

"Date biomass is giving a great opportunity to develop low cost, sustainable and lightweight bio-composite materials," said Dr. Hom Dhakal of the University of Portsmouth. "The study has important implications in the automobile manufacturing industry because of new materials could reduce vehicle weight, which means less fuel consumption and less _CO2 emissions than".

Dates are one of the most popular industrial crops in North Africa and the Middle East. This sector generates a large amount of agricultural waste annually because it is only grown for fruit. The rest is mainly burnt or buried underground, causing serious environmental pollution.

"It will take a long time to convince people to use synthetic materials reinforced with natural fibers, which is a long journey and we must persevere if we want to make a difference , " Dhakal said. .

The research was published in the journal Industrial Crops and Products.