Issue 01/2017

Application News
The world’s first biocomposite car
Students from Netherlands-based Eindhoven University of
technology have built a 4-seat electric car weighing a slender
300 kg – made from a flax sandwich material with a PLA core.
It is the first time a car body structure has been made from a
biocomposite.
As reducing vehicle weight took over as a priority in the
design and production of new cars, carmakers have increasingly
resorted to the use of light materials, such as aluminium and
carbon-fiber composites, for the body chassis structural parts.
The TU/ecomotive team of students responsible for the design
of the car called Lina, however, chose a different solution. Using
sandwich panels comprised of flax-based composite with a PLA
honeycomb core for Lina’s chassis, they have shown that biobased
materials can deliver the required strength, without the
weight, needed for an energy-efficient, light-weight, modern-day
connected urban minicar.
They call their approach, characterized by their drive to
consume the least possible about of energy during production
through the use of sustainable materials, “reduction during
production”. Efficient and practical, Lina offers a sustainable
choice, from cradle to grave.
A redesigned battery pack from Nova will make swapping
batteries easy and convenient, while paving the way for new
battery technologies. In response to the recent car sharing trend,
the latest NFC technology has also been incorporated into Lina:
users gain access to the car using a smartphone or a card with
an NFC chip. The car will recognize the user by the unique NFC
code, and activate his or her personal user settings, such as
playlists, frequent destinations or telephone contacts.
Visualisation by DD COM (www.ddcom.nl)
The next step is to put Lina through her paces out on the street. To that end, the car will undergo an inspection at the RDW
Netherlands Vehicle Authority to receive a licence number, which will enable the car to be driven on the public roads. Lina will
be presented some time before the summer of 2017. KL
www.tuecomotive.nl
Toothbrush handle from PLA compound
The latest toothbrush handles made by Morbach, Germanybased
SWAK Experience UG are produced from a biobased
plastic developed by the Junior Research Group at the
Institute for Bioplastics and Biocomposites of the University
of Applied Sciences and Arts Hanover, Germany. Here, a team
of scientists have successfully modified a PLA-based plastic,
such that it is now suitable for daily use in dental care.
The handle is produced mainly from renewably-sourced
materials from GMO-free feedstocks, thus meeting all the
requirements of SWAK, the manufacturer of the toothbrush
and a company that aims, wherever possible, to provide their
customers with sustainable options to promote oral health.
For better handling, the injection moulded handle is slightly
angled, similar to the dental instruments used by dentists.
While the handle is intended to last as long as possible,
the brush heads must be regularly changed. These are
made from the wood of the toothbrush tree, also called
Miswak (Salvadora persica), which has been used in the Arab
world for centuries to clean teath. Miswak wood is a natural
source of fluoride and other minerals that are beneficial to
dental health.
The scientists of the Junior Research Group are working
in close consultation with company of SWAK to optimize the
handle material and the production process. The goal is to
increase the biobased content of the material of the handle,
as well as to explore the use of natural fibres. MT
www.fng.ifbb-hannover.de | www.swak.de
26 bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/17] Vol. 12