News & Events
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In The News
November 11, 2009
- Ford Teams up to Develop Wheat Straw-Reinforced Plastic; New Biomaterial Debuts in 2010 Ford Flex
DEARBORN, Mich., Nov. 11, 2009 – Ford Motor Company, working with academic researchers and one of its suppliers, is the first automaker to develop and use environmentally friendly wheat straw-reinforced plastic in a vehicle.
The first application of the natural fiber-based plastic that contains 20 percent wheat straw bio-filler is on the 2010 Ford Flex's third-row interior storage bins. This application alone reduces petroleum usage by some 20,000 pounds per year, reduces CO2 emissions by 30,000 pounds per year, and represents a smart, sustainable usage for wheat straw, the waste byproduct of wheat.
"Ford continues to explore and open doors for greener materials that positively impact the environment and work well for customers," said Patrick Berryman, a Ford engineering manager who develops interior trim. "We seized the opportunity to add wheat straw-reinforced plastic as our next sustainable material on the production line, and the storage bin for the Flex was the ideal first application."
Collaborative effort
Ford researchers were approached with the wheat straw-based plastics formulation by the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, as part of the Ontario BioCar Initiative – a multi-university effort between Waterloo, the University of Guelph, University of Toronto and University of Windsor. Ford works closely with the Ontario government-funded project, which is seeking to advance the use of more plant-based materials in the auto and agricultural industries.
October 14, 2008
- Voyage of Discovery at New U of G Centre Plants Root of Research (Guelph Tribune)
One of the first projects at the University of Guelph's new Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre could solve a problem facing the city since the beginning of the Wet-Dry program: how to dispose of the green plastic bags that hold our organic waste?
At the recent grand opening of the centre, Mayor Karen Farbridge said the development of a biodegradable plastic bag made out of soy might be the answer.
The mayor was among about 200 people who turned out for the grand opening of the centre, where researchers will investigate ways to turn agricultural products such as soy, wheat and corn into car parts, furniture and fuel.
University professor Amar Mohanty, who holds the $3-million Premier's Research Chair in Biomaterials and Transportation, was enthusiastic as he spoke to the crowd.
October 4, 2008
- Corn in the Car: U of G opens its bioproducts development and discovery centre (Guelph Mercury)
In the future you could be driving to work in a soy-based car, sitting down in a wheat-based chair and writing with a corn pen.
It's not exactly the Jetsons. But according to Amar Mohanty that's the future of bioproducts.
"The purchase of petroleum is forcing us to go to bioproducts," he said. "There is no doubt we have to go through this transition."
Mohanty was speaking yesterday at the opening of the University of Guelph's new Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre, which he will lead as the research chair in biomaterials and transportation
Events
May 2-4, 2010
11th International Conference on Biocomposites: Transition to Green Materials
Marriott Toronto Downtown Eaton Centre Hotel
Please join us for this important international conference that will examine the latest developments in the science, technology, economics and applications of biofibre plastic composites.
The conference will include technical and poster presentations, discussions, and industrial exhibits, as well as ample opportunities for networking with friends & colleagues from around the world.
The following major topics will be covered:
- Materials; including bioresin, bioplastics, hybrid plastics, bio-additives.
- Processing technologies; including energy-efficient processing, micro-and nano-fibre manufacturing, LFT, DLFT, extrusion, injection molding, foaming and nano-biocomposite processing.
- Design and performance issues; including strength and physical properties, creep, durability, fire performance, codes & standards.
- Application and prototyping; real life applications in automotive, furniture, building, construction, packaging, technical products, prototype manufacturing.
- Economic and environmental issues; including cost versus performance issues, recycling, life cycle analysis, composting and biodegradability.
For more information, please visit our website at http://www.biocomposites-toronto.com.
About the Conference
The 11th International Conference on Biocomposites: Transition to Green Materials is sponsored and hosted by the Centre for Biocomposites & Biomaterials Processing at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Forestry, in co-operation with the Forest Products Laboratory of the USDA-Forest Service, Luleå University of Technology and the Forest Products Society. You're receiving this email because we believe this conference might be of interest to you and your organization. To unsubscribe from future communications regarding this conference, please email us.
May 14, 2010
5th Bi-Annual BioCar Research Meeting and Advisory Panel Meeting
The Ontario BioCar Initiative will hold a research meeting on May 14, 2010 at the University of Guelph.
Date: May 14, 2010
Location: TBA, University of Gueph
March 31 and April 1, 2010
Bioplastics & Green Composites 2010 Workshop
Delta Hotel and Conference Centre, Guelph, Ontario
It is estimated that the global bioplastics market is growing at more than 25% per year and experts perdict that bioplastic production will exceed 50-billion pounds by 2015. The Bioproducts Discovery & Development Centre (BDDC), University of Guelph, is an interdisciplinary centre where plant biologists, chemists and engineers converge to investigate and commercialize biomaterials.
The BDDC, directed by Dr. Amar Mohanty, Ontario Premier's Chair in Biomaterials and transportation, is bring you this timely world class workshop on bioplastics and green composites. Experts from academia and industry will present their latest findings and developments in this ever evolving industry, including technical presentations on:
- renewable plastics
- natural fibre composites
- renewable non-biodegradeable plastics
- petroleum-based biodegradable plastics
- sustainability, market analysis and policy
- recyclability, biodegradability and LCAs
For a full list of presenters from academia and industry as well as workshop details visit http://www.bioplastics2010.com/ or click here to download the brochure [3.3 MB]
