Polylactic acid (PLA) for automotive applications
Research and innovation REF: RE273 V1

Polylactic acid (PLA) for automotive applications

Authors : Delphine NOTTA-CUVIER, Amani BOUZOUITA, Jérémy ODENT, Rémi DELILLE, Marius MURARIU, Franck LAURO, Jean-Marie RAQUEZ, Grégory HAUGOU, Philippe DUBOIS

Publication date: September 10, 2018 | Lire en français

Logo Techniques de l'Ingenieur You do not have access to this resource.
Request your free trial access! Free trial

Already subscribed?

Overview

ABSTRACT

In this article, some paths for optimizing the thermo-mechanical properties of biosourced polymeric compositions based on polylactic acid (PLA) for automotive applications are presented. The impact of different additives, such as clay nanotubes, is studied. Other developments deal with PLA-PMMA-elastomeric nodule ternary blends. After this composition is optimized at the laboratory scale, a manufacturing process suitable for industrial high-rate production is designed. Mechanical properties are fully compatible with high strain rate loadings, such as crashes, but thermal resistance still needs improvement.

Read this article from a comprehensive knowledge base, updated and supplemented with articles reviewed by scientific committees.

Read the article

AUTHORS

  • Delphine NOTTA-CUVIER: Senior Lecturer - Laboratoire d'Automatique, de Mécanique et d'Informatique Industrielles et Humaines (LAMIH) UMR CNRS 8201, Institut Carnot Arts, Université Polytechnique des Hauts-de-France (UPHF), Valenciennes, France

  • Amani BOUZOUITA: Postdoctoral Researcher - Institut Mines Télécom Lille Douai, Department of Polymer and Composite Technology & Mechanical Engineering (TPCIM), Douai, France

  • Jérémy ODENT: Assistant Doctor - Polymer and Composite Materials Department (SMPC), University of Mons, Mons, Belgium

  • Rémi DELILLE: Research Engineer - Laboratoire d'Automatique, de Mécanique et d'Informatique Industrielles et Humaines (LAMIH) UMR CNRS 8201, Institut Carnot Arts, Université Polytechnique des Hauts-de-France (UPHF), Valenciennes, France

  • Marius MURARIU: Senior Researcher - Polymer and Composite Materials Department (SMPC), Materia Nova Materials R&D Centre, Mons, Belgium

  • Franck LAURO: University Professor - Laboratoire d'Automatique, de Mécanique et d'Informatique Industrielles et Humaines (LAMIH) UMR CNRS 8201, Institut Carnot Arts, Université Polytechnique des Hauts-de-France (UPHF), Valenciennes, France

  • Jean-Marie RAQUEZ: Associate Researcher FRS-FNRS - Polymer and Composite Materials Department (SMPC), University of Mons, Mons, Belgium

  • Grégory HAUGOU: Senior Lecturer - Laboratoire d'Automatique, de Mécanique et d'Informatique Industrielles et Humaines (LAMIH) UMR CNRS 8201, Institut Carnot Arts, Université Polytechnique des Hauts-de-France (UPHF), Valenciennes, France

  • Philippe DUBOIS: Ordinary Professor - Polymer and Composite Materials Department (SMPC), University of Mons, Mons, Belgium

 INTRODUCTION

In the automotive sector, public and political awareness of environmental issues is reflected in increasingly stringent regulations on CO 2 emissions. To achieve the targets set, automakers and equipment suppliers are making considerable efforts to reduce vehicle mass and thus fuel consumption and emissions. In terms of materials, this is reflected in the growing use of polymers, particularly thermoplastics, to replace higher-density metallic materials. These polymer materials are generally reinforced to give them thermomechanical properties compatible with the extreme mechanical stresses and wide temperature ranges typical of automotive applications.

At the same time, regulations are setting ever-higher targets for the proportion of materials derived from renewable resources in vehicles. A new challenge is to develop biosourced polymer compositions with thermomechanical properties at least analogous to those of petro-sourced automotive polymers.

Among the biobased polymers available for industrial applications, polylactic acid or polylactide (PLA) offers particularly interesting properties, in particular high tensile and flexural strength and rigidity, and easy shaping, at an affordable cost. Nevertheless, PLA is brittle and has low resilience and thermal stability.

This article presents a strategy for the progressive development of PLA-based biosourced polymer compositions, with the aim of giving them properties compatible with automotive specifications.

Key points

Plastics and composites

Degree of technology diffusion: growth

Technologies involved: extrusion, injection molding, characterization of mechanical behavior, DMA

Applications: engineering

Main French players (non-exhaustive list)

  • Research laboratories: LAMIH UMR CNRS 8201, Université Polytechnique des Hauts-de-France; TPCIM Department, IMT Lille-Douai

  • Organization: CRITT Polymères Picardie

Other players worldwide (non-exhaustive list)

  • Research Laboratory: SMPC, University of Mons, Mons (Belgium)

  • Industrial transfer center: Materia Nova Materials R&D Centre, Mons, -Belgium

  • Association: "European Bioplastics" Berlin, Germany

  • PLA producer: Natureworks LLC (United States)

Contact: [email protected]

You do not have access to this resource.
Logo Techniques de l'Ingenieur

Exclusive to subscribers. 97% yet to be discovered!

You do not have access to this resource. Click here to request your free trial access!

Already subscribed?

KEYWORDS

automotive   |   polylactic acid   |   thermomechanical properties

Ongoing reading
Polylactic acid (PLA) for automotive applications

Article included in this offer

"Plastics and composites"

( 329 articles )

Complete knowledge base

Updated and enriched with articles validated by our scientific committees

Services

A set of exclusive tools to complement the resources

View offer details
Contact us
Contact our team FAQ