Carbon fiber and lightweight aluminum – two of the most advanced materials used in manufacturing automobiles today. However, what if we told you that in the near future, bamboo will also be used to build parts of the car you’re driving? Sounds good, right?
That’s exactly what Ford Motor Company is aiming to achieve at its Nanjing Research and Engineering Center in China. As of this writing, a team of engineers and researchers led by Janet Yin is on a mission to harness the potential of bamboo as the next big thing in automotive parts manufacturing.
In detail, the team has spent the last few years working with suppliers to assess the capabilities of bamboo when combined with plastic to make automotive interiors and other parts.
They’ve found out that said composite material performed better than some synthetic and natural fibers in tests like tensile strength and impact absorption. This is helped by tempering the composite material to more than 100 degrees Celsius, thus further strengthening its integrity.
Moreover, a bamboo tree matures rapidly (averaging 2 to 5 years) compared to other trees. This fast regenerative property means that there will be no worries of its kind being depleted anytime soon when the move goes into full swing.
Seeing the possible positive outcome of the team’s research, Yin was quoted as saying, “Bamboo is amazing. It’s strong, flexible, totally renewable, and plentiful in China and many other parts of Asia.”
Of note, Ford has made notable efforts to reduce its environmental footprint by using sustainable and recycled materials to manufacture automobiles parts in the Asia Pacific region.
For example, the cooling fan blades found on the Focus and the Escort are made out of excess nylon fibers from carpet and fabric factories. In addition, it also makes its seat fabrics using Repreve, a brand which uses 100% recycled plastic bottles to make its fiber products.
