Issue 05/2015

Events
Successful debut of
bio!CAR conference
With a combined attendance of around 70 participants,
the inaugural bio!CAR conference, organized by bioplastics
MAGAZINE together with the nova-Institute,
can truly be termed a success. The new conference, which
focussed exclusively on biobased materials in automotive engineering,
was launched in Stuttgart, Germany on 24 and 25
September, within the framework of COMPOSITES EUROPE
2015. bio!CAR attracted attendees representing the entire
value chain, ranging from raw materials producers to OEMs,
Tier 1 and other suppliers.
The theme of the bio!CAR conference aimed to reflect
the trend towards the increasing use of biobased polymers
and natural fibres in the automotive industry: more and
more manufacturers and suppliers are betting on biobased
alternatives derived from renewable raw materials such as
wood, flax, jute, sisal, cotton or coir, used as reinforcement
materials, as well as reinforced or unreinforced, but biobased
thermoplastics, thermoset or chemical building blocks.
According to the Hürth-based nova-Institute, the European
car industry processed approximately 80,000 tonnes (2012) of
wood and natural fibres into composites. The total volume of
bio-based composites in automotive engineering was 150,000
tonnes.
Bioplastics are equally useful for premium applications
in the auto sector. Castor oil-based polyamides are used in
high-performance components, polylactic acid (PLA) in door
panels, soy-based foams in seat cushions and arm rests, and
biobased epoxy resins in composites.
The bio!CAR conference was filled with a host of expert
presentations on the latest developments, the overall market
situation and the legal frameworks in the field of biobased
materials. Today’s portfolio of these materials ranges from
the conventional plastics filled or reinforced with sophisticated
natural-fibre products to the biobased, drop-in plastics, such
as castor oil-based polyamides, biobased epichlorohydrin for
epoxy resins or biobased EPDM elastomers. And although
one speaker commented that these drop-ins were ‘kind
of boring because they cannot be differentiated from their
fossil-based counterparts’, the majority of attendees agreed
that the fact that these drop-ins are partly or fully biobased
represents a significant advantage. Novel bioplastics, such as
furfuryl alcohol or isosorbide-based bio-polycarbonate, were
also featured.
During a panel discussion, the conference discussed the
questions: “The future of automobile interior parts – Light
weight, easy to recycle, biobased or even biodegradable?
Where does the journey go?”. One aspect that emerged in
the discussion was that performance and sustainability are
key. “Not biobased for the sake of biobased only,” as Maira
Magnani (Ford) put it.
The Get-Together sponsored by bioplastics MAGAZINE
and Fraunhofer WKI afforded attendees the opportunity to
meet and mingle close to the exhibited Bioconcept Car, a
race car that includes a number of different bioplastic and
biocomposite parts.
In addition to the highly acclaimed (by delegates, speakers
and exhibitors) conference, all attendees had free access
to the COMPOSITES EUROPE trade show, which included
a special Biobased Composites Pavilion, featuring over 20
exhibitors. MT
www.bio-car.info
8 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/15] Vol. 10