SBIR Phase II: Coconut (Coir) Fiber Automotive Composites

SBIR 第二阶段：椰子（椰壳）纤维汽车复合材料

• 批准号: 1026842
• 负责人: Elisa Teipel
• 金额: $ 50万
• 依托单位: Essentium Materials LLC
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2010-08-01 至 2014-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1026842&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; II; Coconut; Coir

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will resolve the technical issues associated with scaling up the manufacturing of non-woven fabric composites made from a blend of coir fiber (from coconut husks) and recycled polypropylene. Final product variability due to the coir fiber itself, the milling of coir fiber from coconut husks, and the manufacturing process to make the felted composite, will be minimized. The variability of the coir fiber feedstock will be determined, along with the resulting variation of the composite's flexural stiffness. The most cost-effective production process to produce consistently clean, 2-3" long fibers in-country from husks will be defined. Finally, the manufacturing processes required to produce these coir fiber composites with the required consistency for automotive applications will be developed. This project will include continuous input from a major automotive manufacturer as well as an automotive parts maker. This research will result in an improved readiness of a polypropylene/coconut fiber based non-woven fabric composite that meets industry certifications for use in automobile trunk liners, and which is greener, less expensive, and better performing than current all-synthetic parts. The broader/commercial impact of this project will take many forms. The total market for automotive non-woven fabric composites is 300 million kg/year. Each vehicle platform that adopts this technology will require 2 million kg/year just for the trunk liners. Replacing synthetic fiber with coconut fiber makes parts more environmentally friendly while utilizing a waste material. Petroleum consumption can be reduced 2-4 million barrels per year and CO2 emissions reduced by 450,000 tons per year by replacing polyester fibers with coir in automotive interior composites. Additionally, the improved performance and lower weight of these materials will lead to cost savings through increased fuel economy, saving up to 3 million gallons of gasoline per year in the U.S. Finally, this project will lead to great economic opportunities for poor coconut farmers and to a very positive environmental impact. Ninety-five percent of the 50 billion coconuts grown worldwide are owned by 10 million coconut farmers whose average income is less than $2/day. Approximately 85% of the coconut husks are currently disposed of as trash, creating pollution. The successful adoption of these materials would create a market for this material, in many cases doubling the annual income for these farmers.

该小型企业创新研究 (SBIR) 第二阶段项目将解决与扩大由椰壳纤维（来自椰子壳）和再生聚丙烯混合物制成的无纺布复合材料的生产相关的技术问题。 由于椰壳纤维本身、从椰子壳中研磨椰壳纤维以及制造毡制复合材料的制造过程而导致的最终产品的变异性将被最小化。 椰壳纤维原料的变化以及复合材料弯曲刚度的变化将被确定。 将确定在国内用壳生产一致清洁的 2-3 英寸长纤维的最具成本效益的生产工艺。最后，将开发生产这些具有汽车应用所需一致性的椰壳纤维复合材料所需的制造工艺。该项目将包括一家主要汽车制造商以及汽车零部件制造商的持续投入。这项研究将提高 基于聚丙烯/椰子纤维的无纺布复合材料，符合汽车行李箱衬里使用的行业认证，并且比目前的全合成部件更环保、更便宜、性能更好。该项目的更广泛/商业影响将采取多种形式。 汽车用无纺布复合材料市场总量为3亿公斤/年。 每个采用该技术的车辆平台每年仅需要200万公斤 行李箱内衬。 用椰子纤维代替合成纤维使零件在利用废料的同时更加环保。 通过在汽车内饰复合材料中用椰壳纤维替代聚酯纤维，每年可减少石油消耗 2-400 万桶，二氧化碳排放量减少 45 万吨。 此外，这些材料的性能改进和重量减轻将通过提高燃油经济性来节省成本，从而节省 美国每年生产 300 万加仑汽油。最后，该项目将为贫穷的椰子种植者带来巨大的经济机会，并对环境产生非常积极的影响。 全球种植的 500 亿个椰子中，有 95% 属于 1000 万平均收入低于 2 美元/天的椰农。 目前大约 85% 的椰子壳被当作垃圾处理，造成污染。 这些材料的成功采用 将为这种材料创造一个市场，在许多情况下使这些农民的年收入翻倍。