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Ford Wants To Use Shredded Olive Trees To Build Cars

Date:12 Jan 2024

Country: Germany

Plant Name:

    Olive

Residue Name:

    Bark

    Stems/Stalks

End Products

Biomaterials

car trim components

Application

  • Sustainable car trim components: Shredded olive tree fibers combined with recycled plastic are used to create lighter, eco-friendly car trim parts.

Description

Ford is exploring the use of shredded olive tree fibers combined with recycled plastic to create car trim components. The material, sourced from olive groves in Andalusia, offers a lighter, more eco-friendly alternative to traditional plastics. This innovation aims to reduce carbon footprints and make car manufacturing more sustainable. The prototype parts are made with a 40:60 ratio of olive tree fibers and recycled polypropylene plastic.

Pathway Description:

Ford's engineers in Cologne sourced shredded olive tree fibers from olive groves in Andalusia, Spain, where the trees are pruned annually. These fibers were compounded with recycled polypropylene plastic in a 40:60 ratio. The blend was then heated and injection-molded into desired shapes for car trim components. This process creates lighter, eco-friendly parts with a reduced carbon footprint.

Source: Know More...

Tags: Prairie Clean EnergyTree Based Car ComponentsEcoFriendly Car Trim

End Products

Biomaterials

car trim components

Feedstock

Types of Feedstock

Forest residue

Name

Olive Tree Fibers

Form

Shredded Fibers

Commercials

Cost-effective as it repurposes agricultural waste

Logistics

Generated during annual pruning of olive trees; processed into fibers for use in composites

Characteristics

Lightweight and durable

Pathways

Thermal

Heating

Mechanical

Pruning,Compounding,Shredding,Injection Molding

Stakeholders

Industrial and commercial

Ford