Importance of Sustainability in Automotive Foam Production

Janifha Evangeline

Today, foam is used mostly commonly within the automotive industry right from car seating to carpet seating to carpet underlay. Although foam plays a crucial role in both the safety as well as the overall comfort of passengers most of them may be unaware that its use extends beyond the most obvious range of applications.

The application of polyurethane foam in the automotive industry comes in various forms such as trimming, seats, headrests, acoustic insulation as well as air conditioning filters. A wide range of foam types are implemented within the industry for numerous purposes and this is used by a huge group of customers since foam is not only one of the most universal materials, but it also brings a wide range of qualities such as vibration blocking, sound absorption and insulation. One of the most popular types of foams are used in the automotive industries.

Sustainability and resource efficiency are becoming more prevalent in the automotive industry. Automotive parts, especially those used in cars, are comprised of many different materials that contain varying amounts of carbon. The use of carbon-based materials will likely have an impact on the climate as well as human health if proper measures aren't taken to reduce their emissions.

Automotive foam manufacturing is an industry that has the potential to have a major impact on the earth's ecosystem. As a result, manufacturers of automotive foam must take great care not only to ensure quality products are produced but also recycle raw materials as well as add eco-friendly ingredients into their products.

Sustainable foams are produced from non-toxic chemicals, as opposed to the traditional ones that use toxic chemicals. These foams are created with a specific chemical makeup and design to dramatically reduce global warming emissions, pollution, and waste. Some of the advantages of using sustainable foams used in the automotive foam production industry include:

Emission reduction

Despite the recent proposal of the Environmental Protection Agency to scale back fuel-economy standards, sustainability remains a top priority for automakers. Apart from contributing to a cleaner planet, it is important for organizations to focus on sustainability since it is good for business.
According to an international study by Unilever, currently, one third of consumers around the world choose to purchase from brands they believe are doing both social & environmental good. Some of the most common sustainability strategies include emissions reduction as well as light weighting.

One such company that had consistently concentrated on increasing the use of non-metal recycled and bio-based materials whenever possible, provided the materials used are

environmentally favorable and meet all performance and durability requirements is Ford. Ford took its approach a step further by incorporating a bio-based foam which consisted of castor oil beneath the instrument panel of its 2018 Ford Fusion, working with IAC and BASF.

Besides leveraging renewable materials, BASF’s Thin-Light solution renders weight savings up to thirty per cent when compared to standard foam-backed instrument panels. And as lighter vehicles consume less energy, the sustainable solution is beneficial twice to the environment & was recognized as the SPE Environmental Category award-winner in the year 2017.

Enable weight reduction without sacrificing functionality or aesthetics

Thin-Light addresses the challenges of developing of lighter, more intricate instrument panels. Solutions such as the Thin-Light system facilitate weight reduction without compromising on the functionality or aesthetics.

The manufacturing process for foam-backed instrument panels involves injecting foam in between the skin & support of the panel by applying high heat & pressure to connect all elements. Then, the new system is integrated easily into current panel manufacturing & addresses a common challenge of adhering various materials together. BASF’s Elastoflex renders superior adhesion properties to dissimilar materials.

In addition to the thirty per cent weight savings it provides, the chemistry of BASF’s system enhances the material viscosity as well as composition that lead to smaller cross-sectional thickness as well as reduced foam densities. This foam can be molded to lesser than 5mm cross sections, which contributes to light-weighting & increased space for vehicle component packaging.

Although safety is an important concern while designing the instrument panel, the foam material is needed for maintaining shape & form during air bag deployment, and minimizing any fragmentation from impact. While the Thin-Light system decreases the overall instrument panel size & weight, the bio-foam maintains its integrity throughout the life span of a vehicle.

Contributing to a greener world

"When all else is equal - the benefits, the performance, the cost - we believe the customer will select a renewable resource as their material of choice," said Jeffrey Hagar, market segment manager, automotive interiors for Performance Materials at BASF.

BASF decided to use castor oil, instead of soy oil, as its renewable material source for this foam system. This is because it has no impact on food & farming supplies. Furthermore, castor oil also does not render the same kind of risk of turning rancid. Furthermore, it maintains higher processing physical properties.

Along with environmentally conscience motives which drive the option to leverage renewable materials, now automakers can proudly promote their contributions to a greener world. Furthermore, lightweight automotive materials bring the advantages of future mobility. As the industry drives toward a complete autonomous future, the implementation of lightweight solutions becomes even more imperative.

BASF’s Thin-Light solution provides weight savings of up to 30 per cent compared to standard foam-backed instrument panels. For instance, a lighter weight, thinner instrument panel contributes to greater design freedom in autonomous vehicles. Instrument panels in driverless vehicles require more personalized components and technology and automakers are challenged with integrating more equipment without adding to overall vehicle mass. Solutions similar to Thin-Light system help in reducing weight without compromising on the functionality or aesthetics.

Sustainable foam has higher impact on the environment than traditional foams, and are considered "sustainable" by using alternative raw materials rather than petroleum. The production of sustainable foams is more expensive than traditional foam, but can be offset by a reduction in global warming emissions.