Japan wants to get wood for auto parts to make it light

Using light, environmentally friendly materials is a trend. Japanese auto parts manufacturers are looking to replace steel and carbon with utopian materials: wood.

Researchers and manufacturers of Japanese auto parts have successfully fabricated materials from pulp , weighing only 1/5 of steel, but five times more solid.

That material is the cellulose (cellulose nanofiber) nanofiber , which in the next 10 years can replace steel. However, besides the strong competition of carbon materials, cellulose nanofibers will be very long to be commercialized.

As the trend of electric vehicles gradually becomes mainstream in the future, manufacturers always come up with lightweight materials, which reduce the overall weight of the vehicle - meaning that the battery and engine will be less powerful. load, thus saving more energy.

Materials from pulp, weighing only 1/5 of steel, are five times stronger.

Masanori Matsushiro, director of Toyota Body Corp's body design project, said: "Reducing the body weight is an issue we are always facing. However, it is also a problem to solve. expensive production costs before being able to put new materials lighter in mass production. "

Researchers at Kyoto University are cooperating with Denso (the largest parts supplier for Toyota) and DaikyoNishikawa Group (partner with Toyota Motor and Mazda Motor) to unveil a plastic-based material. with cellulose nanofibers.

Cellulose nanofibers have been used in many products ranging from ink to transparent screens. However, to make car parts still need a lot of research and testing stages. Using the "Kyoto process" (Kyoto Process) - chemically treated wood, blended with plastics, this reduces production costs by a fifth compared to other processes.

Hiroaki Yano, professor at Kyoto University shared with Reuters: 'This is the process of producing nano cellulose with low cost but with the highest efficiency. That's why we want to include it in auto parts and aircraft manufacturing. "

Spruce Goose - an airplane almost made of wood by American billionaire Howard Hughes.

Researchers and auto parts suppliers are currently developing a model that uses nano-cellulose components, which is expected to be completed by 2020.

Yukihiko Ishino, DaikyoNishikawa spokesman, said: 'We are trying to use plastic to replace steel. We expect that nano cellulose will meet many strict standards.

Car manufacturers also use other lightweight materials. BMW uses structural carbon fiber reinforcement (CFRP) on i3 electric cars as well as its 7 series, while high-tensile steel and aluminum alloys are currently the most optimal option to be used. widely because they are cheap and recyclable.

Yano said he was inspired by the Spruce Goose photo, the nickname of a nearly wooden cargo plane that completely appeared in 1947 by American billionaire Howard Hughes. It was the largest aircraft in the world then.'If Howard Hughes could use wood to build a giant airplane, why can't a wood be used to create a durable material like steel?'

Professor Hiroyuki Yano.

Professor Hiroyuki Yano from Kyoto University, one of those who placed expectations on nano cellulose fibers
Currently, the production cost of 1kg nano cellulose is about 9 USD. Yano and his team plan to halve the cost by 2030, becoming a competitive material for steel, aluminum alloys ($ 2 / kg). Many experts believe that carbon fiber prices will fall to 10 USD / kg by 2025.

Analysts say that high-strength steel and aluminum alloys will become more and more popular in the years to come, as parts manufacturers have to change their production lines, finding ways to put new materials such as nano cellulose into sets. parts of cars.