Mitsubishi Motors Develops Automobile Parts Made from Scrap Wood

Major Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motor Corp. has developed a liquefied wood phenolic plastic made primarily of scrap cedar wood from tree thinning activity. The company has been marketing cup-type ashtrays using this material since July, 1, 2009. This is the first thinned wood based resin to be adapted to an automobile part and it is the fourth product stemming from its "Green Plastic" project that that Mitsubishi is advancing to research and develop alternative solutions to conventional petroleum-based plastics.

New Car Interior Material, Plant-Based Plastic Plus Bamboo Fibers, to Cut CO2 Emissions (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/026342.html
Mitsubishi Motors Corp. global site
http://www.mitsubishi-motors.com/index.html

Posted: 2009/09/12 06:00:15 AM

Pulverized wood is first converted to the fluid resin via a reaction with phenol in presence of acidic catalysts at a high temperature. It is then blended with fillers and a hardener to make the high heat- and flame-resistant resin material. The lifecycle carbon dioxide emissions of this resin part on the cup-type ashtray are estimated to be 16 percent lower than conventional parts.

Taking its characteristic of high heat resistance and electrical isolation into account, the company intends to apply this resin to heat-resistant plastic parts or electrical parts such as the motor in engine area of vehicles. This project is expected to help forest recovery by adding value on the scrap from cedar forest thinning and make better use of scrapped wood and wood powder.