Car parts steadily relying on organics

published: March 9th, 2010
author: NORMAN DE BONO
source: THE LONDON FREE PRESS

Forget about cars rolling off assembly lines -- the day is coming when they'll be grown from the ground up.

Automakers are embracing the use of natural, organic products such as corn, switch grass and soybeans for making car parts because they're cheaper and often stronger than plastics made from petroleum -- and more environmentally friendly to boot, the Grain Farmers of Ontario conference heard Tuesday.

"This is really important," Deborah Mielewski, technical leader for Ford Motor Cop., leader in the materials research and advanced engineering department, said at the day-long conference at London Convention Centre.

"When people talk about green vehicles they talk powertrain, fuel economy and hybrid, but everyone forgets about all the materials that go into a car made from petroleum." More than 300 pounds of oil-based plastics now fill the average car, she added, But Mielewski showed off foam made from soybeans that makes up seats in nine Ford vehicles and plastic trays found in the Ford Flex made from switch grass.

"The dream is to see that 300 pounds replaced by what we can grow. It just makes sense," she said.

But the industry is in its infancy. Hemp, for example, is stronger and cheaper than fibreglass but there is little support for its use as an industrial product -- there are no moulders to make those products for cars, for example.

The conference featured Diane Francis, National Post editor, and Jay Ingram, co-host of the television show Daily Planet and CBC's Quirks and Quarks.

As for the green car, Ford is partnering under the Ontario BioCar Initiative with universities in Guelph, Windsor, Waterloo and Toronto -- the University of Western Ontario is not involved -- in advanced research on biomass in automotive manufacturing.

Eventually, that may also mean the auto sector will be a major market for growers who could see increased demand for fields of beans, corn and switchgrass, to name a few.

"The impact could be very positive for growers, but we do not know what the total tonnage would be," said Jeff Davis, a director of the Grain Farmers of Ontario, and a farmer from St. Thomas.

"I cannot see us adding millions of acres to address the need." But the Flex uses 20,000 pounds of switch grass -- from four farmers -- for its trays, he added. If one multiplies that to all automakers using the same material for many parts -- the demand could be massive.

"It all adds up. It is small now but you add those up and it gets big." But Davis said he believes other automotive initiatives, such as the growth of ethanol fuel use, has had a greater impact, even though the industry is moving from ethanol to electric and hybrid technology.

"Gasoline engines are still number one and will be for several years. The use of ethanol is playing a definite part right now," he said.