The use of natural fibres in the German and Austrian automotive industry shows an increased demand over the past four years and especially the above-average rates of increase for hemp and kenaf, whereas the use of jute and sisal decreases. In Europe the use of natural fibres in the automotive industry in 2000 about 28,300 tonnes. Each kg hemp fibre that substitutes glass fibres in composites, saves 1.4 kg CO2 during its whole life cycle. While in the eighties and the beginning of the nineties mainly ecololgical reasons were much of a concern for the use of natural fibres composites, nowadays the favourable mechanical properties and the production costs play a major role. The currently used natural fibre composites are mainly press-moulded parts. They consist of nonwovens from natural fibres and a binder (duroplast/thermoset resp. thermoplast), which are pressed into the desired form. Typical applications are door inserts, hat racks, pillar cover panels and boot linings. At the current state of technology, 5 to 10 kg of natural fibres per automobile can be used, excluding seat upholstery. If new production technologies, like natural fibre-reinforced plastics used with injection moulding technology could be successfully established, an additional market share in the approx. 1 million tonnes sized EU-market for glass fibre-reinforced plastics could be captured. Running parallel to this, developments of the modification of natural fibres with the means of vapour pressure (steam explosion), ultrasonic and enzymatic fibre separation are in progress. Since the EU end-of-life vehicle directive has a major influence on the future use of materials in automobiles, it depends on the concrete implementation of the EU end-of-life vehicle directive, whether the described positive tendencies will persist, come to an end or whether new natural fibre product lines will have to be established.


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    Title :

    Natural fibres in the European automotive industry


    Contributors:
    Karus, M. (author) / Kaup, M. (author)

    Published in:

    Publication date :

    2002


    Size :

    13 Seiten, 4 Tabellen, 8 Quellen




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Print


    Language :

    English






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