If from time to time Japanese cars are jokingly called plastic, then soon they may already be nicknamed paper - thanks to body elements produced using plant cellulose nanofibers.
Resin body material reinforced with cellulose nanofibers, a consortium of 22 Japanese institutions, including a team of researchers from the University of Kyoto. The project is run under the auspices of the Japanese Ministry of the Environment (MOE). At the present stage of the development of the project, the design of the car received so many elements from cellulose, including external, especially durable body parts, that the weight of the car was reduced by more than 10%.
For example, the hood of a car is made entirely of cellulose, even without the use of resins. At the same time, the appearance and quality of the finish turned out to be at a high level, without which it would be impossible to prepare the project for the commercial phase.
The transparent roof and rear window are made of polycarbonate, but also with the addition of cellulose fibers. The transparency of the windows is not affected. Side door panels are also made with the addition of cellulose nanofibers, but already in polypropylene.
It is noteworthy that the consortium created not just a model of a concept car made of cellulose, but a full-fledged car that can move. True, the maximum speed of the NCV Concept Car is only 12,4 miles per hour (about 20 km/h). In the future, the speed of this interesting development will be increased.
Source: 3dnews.ru