Toyota Accelerates Use of Bioplastics

Toyota says it will introduce a model next year that will userenewable plastic-based compounds that cover 80 percent of the interior.

The announcement fits into a Toyota plan to replace 20percent (by weight) of all oil-based plastics for cars with bioplastics by2015. That adds up to 360,000 metric tons of bioplastics.

The opening last July of a new Braskem plant in Brazil isspeeding Toyota's use of bioplastics. A component of polyethylene terephthalate(PET) is being made from sugar cane at the new plant, which is also supplyingmaterial for Coca-Cola's new PlantBottle.PET consists of 70 percent terephthalic acid and 30 percent monoethyleneglycol, by weight. Bio-PET is made by replacing monoethylene glycol with a rawmaterial derived from sugar cane.

Toyota's first use of the material is liner material in theluggage-compartment in the Lexus CT200h due at the beginning of 2011, Toyotaplans to increase both the number of vehicle series featuring the new material,as well as the amount of vehicle-interior area covered by it.

The new material, according to Toyota, features enhancedperformance (heat-resistance, durability performance, shrink resistance)compared to conventional bioplastics and performance parity withpetroleum-based PET. Costs will be comparable to oil-based PET once highproduction volumes are achieved, says Toyota.

BioPET Plans

The car maker also feels the bioPET may be used in seats andcarpeting and other interior components that require a high level ofperformance unattainable by previously available bioplastics.

Use of bioplastics at Toyota dates to 2000. In 2003, Toyotabecame the first in the world to use bioplastics in a mass-production vehicle.Polyactic acid was used in the spare tire cover and floor mats of theJapanese-market "Raum" small car.

The Sai hybrid launched last year uses bioplastics to cover60 percent of the exposed surfaces of interior parts. Toyota is using fibersmade from DuPont Sorona plastic for the ceiling surface skin, sun visor, andpillar garnish.

Toyota calls bioplastics "Ecological Plastic".

Toyota is making widespread use of bioplastics in an effort toreduce the carbon footprint of materials used in its vehicles

"Ecological Plastic has the benefit of being more carbonneutral than conventional petroleum-based plastics, meaning it can lessenproduct-life-cycle carbon dioxide emissions; use of it can contribute to areduction in the use of limited petroleum resources," a company spokespersonsaid.

The new bio-PET was developed with Toyota Tsusho, a tradingcompany that is part of the Toyota Group. Toyota has committed to buy 40percent of the output of a brand-new Braskem plant in Brazil that will produce 200,000metric tons of ethylene from sugar annually.

Toyota was initially focused on production of its own PLA asan automotive material, but sold its 1,000 metric tons per year plant making"Biofront" PLA to Mazda and Teijin. Toray Industries and NatureWorks still supplyPLA to Toyota.

Floor mats for the remodeled third-generation Toyota Priususes an advanced PLA-based fiber. Other applications for bioplastic in thePrius are seat cushion foam, cowl side trim, inner and outer scuff plates, anddeck trim cover. Toyota used PLA to replace petroleum-derived nylon resin usedin floor mats. The PLA for the floor mats came from NatureWorks, which suppliedIngeo to Toyota Tsusho Corp.

Another important new bioplastic application for Toyota isthe use of DuPont Zytel RS 6/10 in a radiator endtank in the 2010 Camry sedan. Requirements for the nylon in the radiatorapplication include exceptional heat resistance, durability, and road saltresistance.

a euro ~Green' Vinyl

One of the new applications in 2011 will be a fiber thatbacks vinyl in sheets used to cover seats, dashes and door interiors. Workingwith Toyota engineers, Canadian General-Tower (CGT) developed a calenderedvinyl called Vehreo that is proccessable on existing equipment.

The fabric layer under the vinyl is made 55 percent fromrecycled PET bottles. A plasticizer made from soybean oil and castor bean oil makesup 10 to 35 percent of the main layer.

"We plan in the next iteration to replace 100 per cent ofthe phthalates with soy oil and castor bean oil," says Patrick Diebel, vicepresident, advanced technology for Canadian General-Tower.

Toyota says that a surface coating on the sheet is a proteinthat can replace a petroleum-derived thermoset such as polyurethane orvinyl-acrylic resin.

The bioplasticozer project is partially funded by theOntario (Canada) BioAuto Council.

Ford Motor Company is also a leaderin using bioplastics in cars. Ford engineers have pioneered developmentsleading to large-sale use of castor-oil as a feedstock in polyurethane foams.

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