<p>A team at Sao Paulo State University in Brazil claims to have developed a more effective way to use fibre from these and other plants in a new generation of automotive plastics stronger, lighter, and more eco-friendly than plastics in use.<br /><br />Team leader Alcides Leao said the fibre used to reinforce the new plastics may come from delicate fruits like bananas and pineapples, but they are super strong.<br /><br />Some of these so-called nano-cellulose fibres are almost as stiff as Kevlar, the renowned super-strong material used in armour and bulletproof vests. Unlike Kevlar and other traditional plastics, which are made from petroleum or natural gas, nano-cellulose fibres are completely renewable.<br /><br />"The properties of these plastics are incredible. They are light, but very strong -- 30 per cent lighter and 3-to-4 times stronger. We believe that a lot of car parts, including dashboards, bumpers, side panels, will be made of nano-sized fruit fibres in the future.<br />"For one thing, they will help reduce the weight of cars and that will improve fuel economy," Leao said.<br /><br />Besides weight reduction, nano-cellulose reinforced plastics have mechanical advantages over conventional auto- motive plastics, he added. These include more resistance to damage from heat, spilled gasoline, water, and oxygen<br /><br />With automobile manufacturers already testingnano- cellulose-reinforced plastics, with promising results, the team predicted they would be used within two years.<br /><br />Cellulose is the main material that makes up the wood in trees and other parts of plants. Its ordinary-size fibres have been used for centuries to make paper, extracted from wood that is ground up and processed.<br /><br />Leao said that pineapple leaves and stems, rather than wood, may be the most promising source for nano-cellulose.<br /><br />Other good sources include bananas; coir fibres found in coconut shells; typha, or "cattails"; sisal fibres produced from the agave plant; and fique, another plant related to pineapples.<br /><br />To prepare the nano-fibres, the scientists insert the leaves and stems of pineapples or other plants into a device similar to a pressure cooker. They then add certain chemicals to the plants and heat the mixture over several cycles, producing a fine material that resembles talcum powder.<br /><br />The process is costly, but it takes just one pound of nano-cellulose to produce 100 pounds of super-strong, lightweight plastic, the scientists said.<br /><br />"So far, we're focusing on replacing automotive plastics. But in the future, we may be able to replace steel and aluminium automotive parts using these plant-based nanocellulose materials," Leao said.</p>
<p>A team at Sao Paulo State University in Brazil claims to have developed a more effective way to use fibre from these and other plants in a new generation of automotive plastics stronger, lighter, and more eco-friendly than plastics in use.<br /><br />Team leader Alcides Leao said the fibre used to reinforce the new plastics may come from delicate fruits like bananas and pineapples, but they are super strong.<br /><br />Some of these so-called nano-cellulose fibres are almost as stiff as Kevlar, the renowned super-strong material used in armour and bulletproof vests. Unlike Kevlar and other traditional plastics, which are made from petroleum or natural gas, nano-cellulose fibres are completely renewable.<br /><br />"The properties of these plastics are incredible. They are light, but very strong -- 30 per cent lighter and 3-to-4 times stronger. We believe that a lot of car parts, including dashboards, bumpers, side panels, will be made of nano-sized fruit fibres in the future.<br />"For one thing, they will help reduce the weight of cars and that will improve fuel economy," Leao said.<br /><br />Besides weight reduction, nano-cellulose reinforced plastics have mechanical advantages over conventional auto- motive plastics, he added. These include more resistance to damage from heat, spilled gasoline, water, and oxygen<br /><br />With automobile manufacturers already testingnano- cellulose-reinforced plastics, with promising results, the team predicted they would be used within two years.<br /><br />Cellulose is the main material that makes up the wood in trees and other parts of plants. Its ordinary-size fibres have been used for centuries to make paper, extracted from wood that is ground up and processed.<br /><br />Leao said that pineapple leaves and stems, rather than wood, may be the most promising source for nano-cellulose.<br /><br />Other good sources include bananas; coir fibres found in coconut shells; typha, or "cattails"; sisal fibres produced from the agave plant; and fique, another plant related to pineapples.<br /><br />To prepare the nano-fibres, the scientists insert the leaves and stems of pineapples or other plants into a device similar to a pressure cooker. They then add certain chemicals to the plants and heat the mixture over several cycles, producing a fine material that resembles talcum powder.<br /><br />The process is costly, but it takes just one pound of nano-cellulose to produce 100 pounds of super-strong, lightweight plastic, the scientists said.<br /><br />"So far, we're focusing on replacing automotive plastics. But in the future, we may be able to replace steel and aluminium automotive parts using these plant-based nanocellulose materials," Leao said.</p>