‘Kyoto Process’ enables wooden cars
- Author:Ella Cai
- Release on:2017-08-15
Wood-based cars could be five times stronger than steel and five times lighter, say researchers at Kyoto University, Denso and DaikyoNishikawa.
The scientists are working with plastics integrated with cellulose nanofibres – made by breaking down wood pulp into fibres measuring several hundredths of a micron.
Under the so-called ‘Kyoto Process’, the wood fibres are melded into plastics while being broken down into nanofibres.
The Kyoto Process aims to reduce the cost of producing cellulose nanofibres to the point where they can be used to make parts for cars and planes. Kyoto University plans to complete a protoype car made using cellulose nanofibre parts by 2020.
However there’s still a way to go before cellulose nanofibres are a commercial proposition. The cost of mass producing a kilogram of cellulose nanofibre is about $9 while the cost of 1kg of steel or aluminium is about $2
The scientists are working with plastics integrated with cellulose nanofibres – made by breaking down wood pulp into fibres measuring several hundredths of a micron.
Under the so-called ‘Kyoto Process’, the wood fibres are melded into plastics while being broken down into nanofibres.
The Kyoto Process aims to reduce the cost of producing cellulose nanofibres to the point where they can be used to make parts for cars and planes. Kyoto University plans to complete a protoype car made using cellulose nanofibre parts by 2020.
However there’s still a way to go before cellulose nanofibres are a commercial proposition. The cost of mass producing a kilogram of cellulose nanofibre is about $9 while the cost of 1kg of steel or aluminium is about $2
