Toyota Boshoku Corporation, premier manufacturers of automotive interior systems, and Toyota Central R&D Labs., Inc.,have developed an original technique to realize a bio-based plastic alloy with top-class impact strength. The bio-based plastic alloy (bio-alloy) is made from polyamide 11 (PA11), a 100% bio-based resin originating from plants and synthesized using castor oil extracted from Ricinus Communis (castor bean plant) as a raw material, and polypropylene (PP) derived from petroleum-based resin.
The performance of this high impact bio-alloy surpasses polycarbonate alloys.
The impact strength of the bio-alloy was achieved by controlling the phase structure of PP and PA11 at the nano level through a “salami structure*2” mixture (dispersion) resulting in the world’s first “salami in co-continuous phase structure*2”. To improve the chemical characteristics (affinity) of raw materials, a special reactive compatibilizer was added to the raw materials and a molten blended technology was carried out to lead to a chemical reaction. By utilizing this technology, Toyoto has achieved an impact strength bio-alloy that is 10 times greater than that of PP conventionally used in car interior decoration parts and 13 times greater than that of bio-based plastic (PP/PLA).
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