{"id":119214,"date":"2022-11-30T07:20:00","date_gmt":"2022-11-30T06:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/?p=119214"},"modified":"2022-11-28T12:21:56","modified_gmt":"2022-11-28T11:21:56","slug":"faurecia-advances-biocomposites-recyclability-reduced-co2-and-sustainability-in-automotive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/faurecia-advances-biocomposites-recyclability-reduced-co2-and-sustainability-in-automotive\/","title":{"rendered":"Faurecia advances biocomposites, recyclability, reduced CO2 and sustainability in automotive"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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Faurecia<\/a> (Nanterre, France), part of the Forvia Group, is a global automotive supplier with a mission to develop technologies for safe, sustainable, advanced and customized mobility. While CW <\/em>has more recently reported on the company\u2019s carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) hydrogen storage tank developments for light commercial vehicles (supplying companies like Group Renault<\/a>, Stellantis<\/a>, Hyundai Motor Co.<\/a> and others), Faurecia\u2019s work also extends into advancing biocomposites and smart materials for sustainable vehicle interiors, an area in which it cites decades of experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo Credit: slide 12, Faurecia 1H 2022 presentation<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Faurecia is advancing sustainability within its four business groups: Seating, Interiors, Clean Mobility and Electronics. Across these divisions, the company aims to reduce the CO2<\/sub> footprint of the materials it uses by 87% by 2030, developing them based on three pillars: use less, incorporate recyclable and recycled materials and create alternatives to petrol solutions, with no impact on cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In July 2021<\/a>, the company created a new cross-functional division, Sustainable Materials, to further develop and manufacture cutting-edge sustainable and smart materials and fulfill these sustainability objectives. Leveraging ultra-low, negative CO2<\/sub> emission materials, as well as materials integrating thermal, acoustic and biomedical technologies found under the Interiors and Seating Groups portfolios, the Sustainable Materials division seeks to work across Forvia Faurecia\u2019s business groups to propose a low-CO2 <\/sub>cockpit and CO2<\/sub>-negative materials to OEMs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following these advancements, Faurecia has announced plans to build a dedicated Sustainable Materials R&D Center and a pilot plant, both to be operational by 2023, with a sales target of \u20ac2 billion in 2030. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

NFPP and NAFILean natural fiber composite innovations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Since 2003, Faurecia says its high natural fiber-reinforced polypropylene (NFPP) composite materials have been a key solution toward enabling the next generation of vehicle interiors. Compression molded with up to 50% natural fibers, NFPPs are said to reudce weight and CO2<\/sub> emissions by 50% compared to similar all-plastic products and are designed to achieve the greatest weight reduction without sacrificing performance or mechanical properties; in the past three years alone, NFPPs have helped the company eliminate almost two million kilograms of plastic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Faurecia\u2019s NFPP 1-Shot Ligneco family of materials enables compression molded parts with upgradable surfaces, such as printing and embossing. Photo Credit: Faurecia video, Sustainable materials \u2013 design freedom with NFPP Ligneco<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

NFPPs are also optimal for creating interior parts in a wide variety of finishes, according to Faurecia, including making the natural fibers visible. The NFPP range can be integrated with all of Faurecia\u2019s latest solutions for vehicle interiors, including radiant panels, smart surfaces and decorative lighting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

NAFILean, launched in 2011, is a recyclable, lightweight natural fiber material that uses hemp fibers. This biocomposite \u201cmeets OEMs\u2019 performance and safety requirements,\u201d says Laurence Dufrancatel, innovation materials manager and Sustainable and Smart Product Line core team member in a February 2021 interview<\/a> on the subject. She also notes that a number of biofibers are suitable (like linen and bamboo). The NAFILean family of products has evolved over the years and continues to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe NAFILean range has grown from one product in 2011 to four today, with a next generation in the works,\u201d says Dufrancatel. \u201cEach of these improves on the \u2018parent product\u2019 by lowering CO2<\/sub> emissions, reducing weight or opening possibilities for more uses. The original NAFILean products are on average 25% lighter than their conventional counterparts, and save around 28% in CO2<\/sub> emissions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Vehicle interior innovations achieved with NAFILean.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Faurecia is now working on CO2<\/sub>-negative NFPP products which use up to 100% recycled plastic polymers and bring added functionality. It details three such products \u2014 NAFILean Stiff, NAFILite, NAFILean R \u2014 in the February 2021 report, \u201cInnovation for sustainable interiors\u201d<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n