UK project to develop biodegradable plastics for vehicles
A consortium of UK companies and universities is developing super-strong lightweight plastic from plant products, which will biodegrade at the end of its lifetime. The plastic could be used to make products as diverse as car doors, boat hulls and capsules to protect small children in medical emergencies. The 'Combine' project will have a total budget of GBP 777,000 (€1.2 million), some 36% of which will be provided by the UK Government's Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). 'Normal plastics have a half-life of thousands of years. The plastics being created in this project will be strong and lightweight, but will be made from plants, which means they'll eventually biodegrade and be composted into harmless plant products,' said UK Minister for Science and Innovation, Malcolm Wicks. According to Gordon Bishop, managing director of project coordinator NetComposites, this will be the first time that structural materials and products have been created from renewable resources. Current plastics are not strong enough to be used in components such as car body parts, but combining natural fibres and bio-plastics will lead to a new generation of plastics. The 30 month project will produce a prototype of a boat wheelhouse roof and a mobile baby incubator. NetComposites is also receiving DTI funding to lead a second consortium, known as FuturePlas, which is working to develop stronger, lightweight recyclable plastics using high strength plastic fibres inside plastic products. This 30 month project will manufacture and test an industrial safety helmet and a prototype of a car front-end. A lighter car body will increase performance while reducing fuel consumption.
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United Kingdom