Plastics News K Show Daily - October 16, 2013 - (Page 21)

PLASTICS NEWS, October 16, 2013 • 21 BWM Continued from Page 20 clearly visible in the i3 cars on show — for example, partial open-pored eucalyptus-wood cladding on the dashboard. BMW makes a carrier frame in 20 percent long-glass-fiber-reinforced polypropylene that supports the dashboard trim. The i3’s “visible nature” door panels are made by Dräxlmaier, of Vilsbiburg, Germany. The door panels are compression molded in 50 percent kenaf-fiber-reinforced PP with 1,800-grams-per- Bacteria research succeeds By David Vink EUROPEAN PLASTICS NEWS At the Fraunhofer Umsicht environmental, safety and energy technology institute in Oberhausen (Hall 6/E48), researchers have developed an antibacterial solution that they claim “gives no chance for bacteria,” as it involves highly efficient impregnation with nano silver particles into the outer surface of molded parts. The key to the process is pumping liquid carbon dioxide into a high-pressure container holding the parts to be treated. Researchers say scratches do not affect the impregnated surface. High-grade plastic parts and lifestyle products like cellphone housings can be treated with custom colors, additives and UV stabilizers well under the plastic’s melt temperature and without using aggressive solvents. The institute is also one of 13 partners in a 3.95 million euro Ecoplast project supported by the EU that is studying the use of biomass-based composites in automotive engineering. Auto parts supplier Grupo Antolin-Irausa SA of Madrid is a partner. The collaboration has sought to improve the material properties of polylactide acid and polyhydroxybutyrate, using plantbased and mineral fillers and reinforcements. It also is focused on creating a protein-based bioplastic matrix to meet automotive standard requirements. Fraunhofer Umsicht scientists are working on surface modification of plant-based natural fibers to make them more compatible with PLA. The aim is to achieve a fiber coating that not only provides homogenization in surface chemistry and topography, but optimizes transfer of forces from the polymer matrix to the fibers when the plastic part is subjected to mechanical load. Other Ecoplast partners at K 2013 include Aimplas Instituto Tecnológico del Plástico (Hall 8a/C32-3), bioplastics producer FkuR Kunststoff GmbH (Hall 6/E48), additives supplier NanoBioMatters Industries S.L. (Hall 8a/E12-7) and equipment manufacturer Pallmann (Hall 9/A22). square-meter weight and covered in a transparent PP sealing layer, according to Schmiedel. The visible nature trim over air-conditioning areas on the dashboard involves an additional sealing layer on the underside, in either 100- to 400-micrometer PP film or a polyethersulfone/PP non-woven material. Dräxlmaier won a 2013 BMW innovation award for the visible nature application’s reduction of petroleum-based content. The i3 also has a one-step thinfilm-clad foamed part of the instrument panel, an application that won a it an innovation award last year from the Society of Plas- tics Engineers’ Central Europe section. BMW molds that part in Landshut using Siebenwurst tooling and BMW’s PP SGI structural foam process, together with Groflex film cladding from Nordenia, which is applied by Frimo equipment. The film is heated, stretched, punched out and formed into a 3-D structure. A dummy silicone skin is used during back-foaming and then removed to be replaced by the plastic or leather surface trim material. Frimo’s dummy skin process is highly cost-efficient for production of several versions in one tool, according to BMW. STAY IN THE PUBLISH DATES: OCT. 16-23 Richard Newton/BMW AG photo SHOW DAILY BMW workers carry an i3 roof, made of recycled CFRP. @ KNOW Keep up with the latest news with K 2013 Daily Digital Editions published by the largest editorial staff serving plastics: 6 Digitial Editions will be delivered directly to your inbox each morning. DIGITAL EDITION SPONSOR Visit these PREMIER ADVERTISERS in Düsseldorf: HALL 10 / G20 HALL 16 / B19 HALL 10 / A26 HALL 15 / B27/ C24/C27/D24 WWW.PLASTICSNEWS.COM HALL 8a / K11 HALL 17 / C22 HALL 15 / A41 WWW.EUROPEANPLASTICSNEWS.COM HALL 9 / D15 WWW.PRW.COM  http://www.univar.com/ http://www.reifenhauser-kiefel.com/ http://www.dynisco.com/ http://www.maguire.com/ http://www.haitianinter.com/en/ http://www.viscotec.at/ http://www.battenfeld-cincinnati.com/ http://www.cristal.com/Pages/default.aspx http://www.kraussmaffei.com/en/ http://WWW.PLASTICSNEWS.COM http://WWW.EUROPEANPLASTICSNEWS.COM http://WWW.PRW.COM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Plastics News K Show Daily - October 16, 2013

Plastics News K Show Daily - October 16, 2013

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