Mitsubishi makes bamboo plastic

08-Mar-06

Mitsubishi Motors and the Aichi Industrial Technology Institute, have jointly developed an automotive interior material which uses a plant-based resin, polybutylene succinate (PBS), combined with bamboo fibre. Parts made from the material will be used in the interior of a new-concept minicar, to be launched in Japan in 2007. PBS, the main component of the material, is a plant-based resin composed mainly of succinic acid and 1,4-butanediol. The succinic acid for the material will be created through the fermentation of sugar extracted from sugar cane or corn. The new material combines bamboo fibre with PBS in order to increase its rigidity. Use of these renewable plant-based resources, which it has been developing since 2004, will add no CO2 to the atmosphere. According to tests, this PBS/bamboo-fibre prototype achieves an estimated 50% cut in lifecycle CO2 emissions over polypropylene. VOC (volatile organic compounds) levels are also reduced by almost 85% in testing - over processed wood hardboards Mitsubishi has dubbed its plant-based resin technology "Green Plastics" that will substitute plant-based resins and quick-growing plant fibres for materials such as petroleum-based resins and wood hardboards used in car interiors. Bamboo grows to its full height in just a few years, compared with the tens of years required for traditional timber, and as such can be considered a sustainable resource. Bamboo is available and can be grown in a wide variety of areas including Japan, China, and Southeast Asia.