Mazda Motor Corp announced June 13, 2008, that it had signed a joint research agreement with Hiroshima University to launch the "Mazda Bioplastic Project." This project is aimed at developing a bioplastic from non-food-based cellulosic biomass and applying it to automotive use by 2013.
Mazda signed a comprehensive agreement with Hiroshima University's Graduate School of Engineering for collaborative research in the field of automotive technology including biomass technology in 2005. The company plans to expand the joint research on biomass technologies and strengthen its relationship with Hiroshima University for cross-sectional multidisciplinary joint research.
Researchers of Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (Tokyo) will also participate in the project as visiting researchers under its biomass technology research agreement with Hiroshima University.
The bioplastic that is being jointly developed has the advantage of not competing with the food supply as it uses cellulosic biomass derived from inedible materials such as wood shavings and rice straw.
The project will focus on designing a manufacturing process of polypropylene, which boasts a range of applications as an automotive plastic. During the process, ethanol is derived from cellulosic biomass first, and then the ethanol is turned into various mixtures of ethylene and propylene to produce polypropylene. And the project will develop a technology to create polypropylene with sufficient heat resistance, strength and durability to be used in vehicle bumpers and instrument panels.
The project will also seek to optimize the manufacturing process for the bioplastic, assessing its environmental loads and economic costs generated by the process.
Mazda has been proactively developing biomass technology for some time and succeeded in developing a high heat-resistant, high-strength bioplastic and a 100% plant-based fabric for use in car seats ahead of its rivals. These biomaterials are used in the interior of the "Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid," which is powered by a hydrogen rotary engine paired with a hybrid system. The vehicle is slated for commercial leasing within fiscal 2008.
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