Bio-based engineering plastic offers high-quality finish without paint for exterior vehicle parts

29-Dec-14

A new bio-based engineering plastic that can be used for exterior design parts for automobiles has been developed by Mazda Motor Corp, in conjunction with Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation. The new plastic will help Mazda to reduce its impact on the environment in a number of important ways. As the plastic is made from plant-derived materials, its adoption will help to curb the use of petroleum resources and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Furthermore, the material can be dyed and emissions of volatile organic compounds associated with the painting process reduced. Dyed parts made from the bio-based engineering plastic feature a finish of higher-quality than can be achieved with traditional painted plastic. The deep hue and smooth, mirror-like finish of the surface make the newly-developed plastic suitable for external vehicle parts with a high design factor. This bio-based engineering plastic will be used for the first time for interior parts for the all-new Mazda MX-5 which will be launched globally in 2015. Moving forward, it will be used for exterior parts in other production models.