“What we have here may still be no more than a very tiny plant,” says plastics expert Carsten Weiss, “but we can watch it grow in front of our very eyes.” The analogy is more than apt. Weiss and his colleagues from the Corporate Research Sector of Bosch are heavily involved in the development of biopolymers. Rather than being produced from crude oil, these plastics are manufactured using renewable raw materials, such as the castor oil plant.
Work on related research projects is gaining momentum in the automotive industry. “This is a topic that the industry cannot afford to ignore,” says Weiss, adding: “Toyota is already cultivating entire potato plantations.” Market experts predict the industry will see a three-figure percentage rise in the annual demand for biopolymers.
More than just ecological benefits
It is true that the researchers from Bosch – who have already received an award for their work (see column on right) – are not focused exclusively on the ecological benefits of renewable raw materials. “It’s no secret that reserves of crude oil are finite,” says team member Stefan Apelt: “That means plastics prices are set to rise in the long term.” Consequently, alternative raw materials are becoming an increasingly attractive prospect, particularly as “green” technology and materials that help to conserve resources are becoming more and more important to an ever greater number of car buyers.
The bar for bioplastics applications in cars is set pretty high. “A fan frame fitted in the harsh environment of an engine compartment is obviously subjected to a completely different range of stresses than a shopping bag,” explains Apelt. Nevertheless, he is optimistic that components will be ready for series production in the not too distant future: “We will be able to approve the first bioplastics in around two years.” At present, the Corporate Research of Bosch is still testing the practical viability of the various plastics in close cooperation with BASF, Daimler, and other partners. According to Weiss, one issue has already been cleared up: “Only minimal modifications will be required to adapt a production line to bioplastics.”
Great expectations: Enormous increases in production capacity
Prototypes of some components such as pedal modules and steering angle sensors have already been developed and, at first glance, it is impossible to distinguish these from their predecessors. “The bioplastics actually offer a number of advantages,” says Apelt: “They weigh less, absorb considerably less water and are of course more eco-friendly.” And what about the disadvantages? “As it stands, the cost has still not reached a competitive level,” admits Weiss: “However, that could change very rapidly once the first economies of scale take effect.” Weiss also revealed that production capacities for biopolymers are currently undergoing massive expansion around the globe.
One point is important to both researchers: “These plastics are manufactured using biological materials. However, that doesn’t mean that they are biodegradable,” says Apelt. After all, as he says, no-one would want components in their engine compartment that gradually disintegrate as time goes on. While that means we won’t be able to dispose of old car parts in our gardens in the future, the decision to opt for bioplastics will mean we can make an important contribution to the conservation of resources.
Bioplastics is the term used to describe plastics based on renewable raw materials. Some of these plastics derived from biological materials are also biodegradable. In general, biodegradable plastics produced using crude oil are not defined as bioplastics.
The basic idea behind this is not a new one, as plastics based on biological materials – celluloid, for example – have already been around for longer than their counterparts manufactured using fossil raw materials. However, plastics based on crude oil are currently still cheaper to manufacture and more flexible in their range of applications. As a result, bioplastics were relegated to the sidelines for decades before the upsurge in ecological awareness in the 1980’s and 1990’s boosted their profile.
“Award for Innovative Materials”
Alongside researchers from other companies including Daimler and BASF, engineers from Bosch have already been presented with the “Award for Innovative Materials” from the Association of German Engineers (VDI) in recognition of their work.
According to the VDI, the joint project “Biopolyamides in automotive engineering” marks “the first time it has been possible to make bioplastics suitable for complex engine applications and utilize their technological advantages to the full.” The VDI also commented that this development represents “a pioneering step forward that brings us closer to using biopolymers in engine compartments and peripherals.”
