Dow Unveils Low-carbon Mobility Solutions at VDI Congress

Dow showcased several new innovative materials targeting realization of a low-carbon future for mobility across the entire vehicle life cycle at the VDI Plastics in Automotive Engineering (PIAE 2024) event in Mannheim, Germany, on June 19 and 20. In an exclusive follow-up interview with PlasticsToday, Zshelyz (Lyz) Lee, global automotive plastics circularity team leader at Dow, gave more details on how these new products for interior, exterior, and under-the-hood parts would enable decarbonization, circularity, and next-generation design, supporting not just the achievement of sustainability targets but also requirements in performance, safety, and aesthetics.

"The automotive industry is undergoing a revolution, driven by the urgency to become sustainable and the necessity to differentiate,” said Lee. “At Dow, we are constantly innovating to help the automotive industry address the triple goals of climate protection, circular economy, and safer materials, and to enable OEMs and Tiers to design for the future with the latest in material science.” 

Technologies for low-carbon mobility.

Top of the list of sustainability-enabling materials is Dow’s Engage 11000 polyolefin elastomer (POE) series of impact modifiers for thermoplastic olefin (TPO) applications such as bumpers and door panels. The modifiers help address the loss in properties from partial use of recycled polypropylene (PP) in automotive compounds. EU regulations slated for introduction by 2030 require that 25% of the plastic used to build a new vehicle come from recycling, of which 25% must be recycled from end-of-life vehicles.

Related:Dow Delivers Bio-based EPDM

Dow now also offers Engage REN POEs with up to 100% bio-based content for impact modification of TPOs. “While bio-based plastic content might not yet be officially recognized [by EU authorities], it fits in with Dow’s intent to decarbonize via both recycled and low-carbon materials,” said Lee, speaking to PlasticsToday in an online interview. “The recycling component encompasses chemical recycling,” she added.

Handling recycled plastic stream contamination.

Another enabling technology to boost recycled content is Fusabond functional polymers to compatibilize polypropylene recyclates containing cross-polymer contamination. “Polypropylene, typically in the form of TPO, is the major plastic component in a vehicle but recycled PP may come from a different source such as appliances,” noted Lee. “There’s also the possibility of polyamide contamination. Fusabond ensures you have sufficient impact modification in compounds with recycled content.”

Circular seat foam solutions.

Recycled polyurethane (PU) derived from Dow’s Renuva Recycling Program also has the potential to deliver circular car seat foam solutions. The program recovers polyols via the chemical recycling of PU foam from end-of-life mattresses, enabling a 54% carbon reduction versus standard polyol production processes.

Dow Polyurethanes and partners Orrion Chemicals Orgaform, Eco-mobilier, H&S Anlagentechnik, and foam bedding manufacturer the Vita Group inaugurated a pioneering mattress recycling plant in France as part of the Renuva program in September 2021 to recycle up to 200,000 mattresses annually. There is potential to extend this recovery program to the automotive sector if an ecosystem can be established. “We are looking for partners, both on the upstream side for automotive waste collection and OEMs that want to reach their end-of-life vehicle [recycling] targets,” said Lee.

Dow is also promoting its mechanically recyclable Infinair POE-based solution that is an alternative to PU foam for residential mattresses, pet beds, baby pillows, medical mattresses, and outdoor furniture. Infinair was developed by fusing thermoplastic POE filaments to form thousands of bonded loops by a melt extrusion and water-cooling process. 

The 3D Loop material made from Infinair offers better airflow, support, and comfort compared to traditional foam materials. Further, its greater than 90% open structure and elastomeric nature support mattresses with adjustable hardness, high rebound, breathability, and washability, as well as anti-odor (including low VOCs) and anti-bacterial properties. “We have Tier 1 partners in multiple regions and are engaged with OEMs [to deploy the Infinair concept in automotive] because this concept is about design for recyclability,” explained Lee.

PVC leather substitutes.

Circularity in car seats is on the agenda at Dow. Image courtesy of Bigtunaonline/iStock via Getty Images.

Dow also offers several alternatives for PVC leather as well as natural leather. Luxsense silicone synthetic leather, for example, is the world’s first silicone-based luxury synthetic material that rivals authentic leather in performance while surpassing it in sustainability. In addition, Evoair POE leather solutions with low VOC/odor and better color stability than PVC leather are also 25 to 40% lighter.

Finally, Dow has developed a new solution for seamless designs with translucent bumpers incorporating hidden sensors and lighting, realized with a POE grade that delivers superior low-temperature toughness in TPO compounds with up to 60% light transmittance, to boot. One of the keys in attaining higher translucence is reducing the talc load, according to Dow.

"With all of today’s challenges, we in the automotive industry need to act fast, seize new technologies, and collaborate with the right partners,” said Global MobilityScience Sustainability Application Team Leader Andrea Benvenuti. “We in the MobilityScience team are committed to supporting OEMs and Tiers in their sustainability and design aspirations with our technology and expertise, and to helping build the ecosystem needed to bring about circularity and decarbonization.”