Converting crops into cars
Pioneering auto maker Henry Ford was a man before his time. In the 1940s, his
vision to "grow automobiles from the soil" resulted in an experimental
car made of resin-stiffened hemp fibre, more resistant to denting than steel.
More than half a century later, an industry partnership between the Ford
Motor Company and the University of Toronto's Dr. Mohini Sain and his
collaborators are resurrecting Ford's dream. The chemical engineer is developing
technology that will replace the sheet metal and glass fibre used to build cars
with natural fibre composite materials, such as hemp.
Industrial hemp is a tough, fibrous plant, with thousands of potential uses,
from the manufacture of textiles and rope, to paper, construction materials and
plastics. "Hemp is an exciting fibre because it has a springy
characteristic," Dr. Sain explains. "It's capable of energy
absorption, so it's very suitable for automotive or aerospace applications where
you are looking for safety and crash-resistance properties."
A pioneer in the field of nanobiocomposites, the NSERC-funded scientist is
making new biomaterials by incorporating nano-sized biofibres from plants such
as hemp, straw, wheat, corn and even turnips, into bioplastic materials made
from soya beans or pulp and paper sludge.
Biofibres are extracted from plant stalks by first separating the pectins and
cellulose, and then blasting the remaining plant material under high pressure
until it is reduced to a powder as fine as corn starch. Dr. Sain has applied for
a patent for his state-of-the-art process that extracts nanofibres from plants.
He is also using the same process to turn waste wood from demolished
buildings into biofibres that can then be used to make high-performance
materials.
When the nanofibres are combined with bioplastics, the resulting
high-performance composites can be used to make not only interior and exterior
car parts, but airplane wings, railway crossties, building beams and biomedical
devices such as cardiac valves and intravenous blood bags.
Biocomposite materials made with hemp have been commercialized for use in
decks, fences, shingles, siding, docks, and patio furniture. "We are also
expecting it to penetrate the sports market, for making helmets, skateboards and
canoes," says Dr. Sain.
Dr. Sain will be the director of the proposed Centre for Biocomposites at the
University of Toronto, which aims to educate people and improve awareness of
biomaterials and their applications. "The centre will be the heart of the
biocomposite and biomaterials research in Canada," he says. "We will
collaborate with eight universities from coast to coast, with more than 40
researchers. We're also working with about 26 private sector companies and some
public sectors." Dr. Sain is also a founding member of the newly formed
Canadian Natural Composites Council.
Manufacturing biomaterials from natural fibres makes environmental sense says
Dr. Sain. "Instead of using synthetic polymers and glass fibre, which are
petrochemical based products we're using renewable food sources, which are all
recyclable, so this has a positive environmental impact. And since the plants
sequester carbon dioxide, we are storing carbon in these products, resulting in
a net reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
"There is also a tremendous savings in energy consumption because
biofibres require half of the energy needed to make glass fibre." Henry
Ford would undoubtedly approve.
More information:
Article by NSERC Newsbureau
Visit Dr. Sain's Web sites at: http://www.forestry.utoronto.ca/ac_staff/current/sain.html
and http://www.chem-eng.utoronto.ca/faculty/sain.html.
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