DE VELO PMENT Material s

© Dräxlmaier

Recycling for a
W R I T T E N BY

More Sustainable Interior

Ivonne Clausner
is Interior Materials Expert
at the Dräxlmaier Group
in Vilsbiburg (Germany).

The long-term goals of OEMs and suppliers are to achieve climate

neutrality and the recyclability of as many components as possible.
The Dräxlmaier Group shows using the example of a nonwoven
mat as used in interior trim, that biocomposites with ISCC+-certified
Jan Reblin
polypropylene are an alternative to biocomposites with petroleum­- is CEO and CTO and is responsible
for product development at the
based polypropylene. Dräxlmaier Group in Vilsbiburg
(Germany).

g The growing scarcity of resources CIRCULAR ECONOMY AS A

requires a transition from a linear econ- GLOBAL SUSTAINABILIT Y GOAL
omy to a circular economy, as prod-
ucts have a constant value and could In addition to legislators, a growing
be reused at the end of their life cycle. number of consumers are demanding
Marco Reis
In this way, resources are not wasted. that resources be used more sparingly. is responsible for the Interior &
In the automotive industry, in particu- In a consumer survey conducted in Styling Pre-development Depart-
lar, this means shifting the focus to ­Germany, 89 % of respondents said ment at the Dräxlmaier Group in
­V ilsbiburg (Germany).
the materials being used. Sustainable that the recyclability of product pack­
­materials such as natural fibers, plas- aging was important to them. In fact,
tic recyclates and biocomposites are 45 % said they had returned a product
­increasingly being used in vehicle because the packaging was not recycla-
­interiors – with the long-term goal of ble. In addition, resource conservation
making all interior materials 100 % and climate protection go hand in hand.
­recyclable. The Dräxlmaier Group is A circular economy based on repair and
Torsten Bröker
now demonstrating this closed loop on recycling emits significantly lower
is Expert for Injection-molding Pro-
an industrial scale for a key component amounts of CO2 equivalents (CO2eq) cesses at the Dräxlmaier Group
in practice, FIGURE 1. than a conventional, linear economy. in Vilsbiburg (Germany).

44 www.springerprofessional.com/automotive
 In order to meet the requirements of C+-certified polypropylene are an alter- polypropylene in the automotive interior
legislators and, above all, the expecta- native to biocomposites with petro- trim manufacturing process on a one-to-
tions of consumers, all car manufactur- leum-based polypropylene. one basis, without changing standard-
ers are working to reduce CO2eq emis- ized process parameters or material
sions, make the entire value chain sus- properties. This makes it possible to
COMPARISON OF NFPP ­
tainable, and increasingly rely on switch from petroleum-based polypro-
BIO+ AND STANDARD NFPP
re­­cycling. All of this works towards a pylene to bio-based polypropylene – and
closed loop of fully recycled resources. A nonwoven mat was tested for use in vice versa – at any time, even in produc-
interior door panels, side panels of center tion processes that have already started.
consoles and instrument panels. On the
FROM NATURAL FIBERS
one hand, the influence of ISCC+(Inter-
TO RECYCLED TO NATURAL COMPARABILIT Y ACROSS
national Sustainability and Carbon Certi-
FIBER POLYPROPYLENE ALL MEASURED VALUES
fication)-certified polypropylene on phys-
Dräxlmaier has been working for de­­ ical-mechanical properties was investi- The tests were performed with a mat
cades to make its own products as re­­ gated. On the other hand, the benefits of weight of 1600 g/m². All relevant me­
source- and climate-friendly as possible. this bio-based polypropylene had to be chanical properties of NFPP Bio+ were
As early as 1999, the company launched clarified in terms of recyclability and the comparable to those of NFPP, al­­though
structural components made of natural product’s CO2eq footprint. the characteristic values of NFPP Bio+
fibers. With the first door carrier made The natural fiber used was always in the test were slightly higher than
of renewable raw materials, the supplier ­ISCC+-certified hemp. In one case this those of standard NFPP. At this mat
created the lightest door in vehicle con- was combined with conventional poly- weight, tensile strength measurements
struction at the time, which was installed propylene NFPP. The second nonwoven according to DIN EN ISO 527-4 showed a
in series production by two OEMs. In the tested was made of ISCC+-certified poly- deviation of the NFPP Bio+ from the
years that followed, the supplier contin- propylene, namely NFPP Bio+. The bio- standard NFPP within the standard devi-
ued to develop interior products made based polypropylene was derived from ation. This currently minor deviation can
of recycled plastic and biocomposites, various organic waste sources from a be attributed to the relatively small sam-
among other materials. wide range of industries and did not ple size, the variation in mat production
In principle, biocomposites can con- require any additional water or land for technology and the production of small
sist of many different materials. In terms its production. Moreover, the production quantities. The production of small
of polymers for example, the plastic of bio-based polypropylene does not com- quantities can lead to insufficient mixing
component of the composite, thermo- pete with food production, as only resid- and thus to an in­­crease of the PP content
plastics such as polypropylene, polyeth- ual materials are used. ISCC+-certifica- in the product. A further approximation
ylene, polystyrene and polyamides are tion also ensures traceability throughout of the values can be expected in mass
considered particularly suitable for the supply chain. production, FIGURE 2.
­recycling because, unlike thermosets Bio-based polypropylene is a drop-in Other relevant values such as flexural
such as phenolic and epoxy resins, solution that can replace petrochemical strength and flexural modulus are also
they can be shaped and reshaped sev-
eral times under high heat. The most
used natural fibers are flax and hemp,
but subtropical fibers such as jute and
kenaf are also used.
In recent years, biopolymers have
increasingly come into focus. These
enable the production of medically safe
and biodegradable composites that have
not yet been widely used in vehicles due
to their currently inadequate properties,
particularly with regard to heat input
and high humidity.
The composite material NFPP (natu-
ral fiber-reinforced polypropylene) rep-
resents a sensible alternative. Starting
in 2023, polypropylene recyclates have
been used for structural and visible
interior components. The use of bio-
based polypropylene instead of petro-
leum-based polypropylene is particu-
larly interesting. The example of a non-
FIGURE 1 The interior cladding under the decor, as shown here for a door, can be implemented in
woven mat, as used in interior trim, a climate-friendly and recyclable way using a biocomposite based on bio-based polypropylene and
shows that biocomposites with ISC- regional natural fibers (© Dräxlmaier)

ATZ worldwide 04|2024    45

 DE VELO PMENT Material s

1.4
1.2
1

Ratio kg CO2eq/kg product

25 23.18 23.34
0.8

20 0.6
Tensile strength [MPa]

1.125
0.4
15
0.2

10 0
-0.2 -0.32 -0.32
5
-0.06
-0.4
0 -0.6
NFPP NFPP Bio+ PP-NF PP-Bio-NF

Raw material NF Raw material PP

FIGURE 2 The tensile strength of NFPP Bio+ is comparable FIGURE 3 In its combination of ISCC+-certified hemp and ISCC+-certified polypropylene,
to that of NFPP The deviation is within the statistical standard NFPP Bio+ has a negative CO2eq footprint and thus makes a significant contribution to the
deviation (© Dräxlmaier) sustainability goal of climate protection (© Dräxlmaier)

comparable, both before and after the FEEDING MATERIAL BACK The collected NFPP material can
alternating climate test. The alternating INTO THE CYCLE be shredded in a granulator, dedusted,
climate test was conducted with heat up and then reprocessed into new injec-
to +80 °C and relative humidity up to In addition to the positive CO2eq balance, tion-molding granules, FIGURE 4. This
60 % and cold down to -30 °C for a to­­ the recyclability of the component is also material can be used to make brackets,
tal of 240 h. The water absorption and guaranteed. After the material has been ribs or entire components – including
thick­ness swell tests, as well as the pressed and the add-on elements have ribs for the components in which the
Dynamic Mechanical Thermal Analy- been injected into the mold, the excess NFPP Bio+ nonwovens are incorporated.
sis (DMTA), also showed comparable material is removed by cutting edges. The granules can also be used to make
results. In the VDA 270 odor test, the This can be completely processed into other components, such as covers.
NFPP Bio+ nonwoven mat performed granules and used for the injection mold- Currently, 40 % of the injection mold-
comparably to the petroleum-based PP ing of the corresponding interior compo- ing material obtained in this way can
biocomposite mat. The comparability of nent as well as for the production of consist of regranulated NFPP. To achieve
all measurements and tests is mainly injection-molded components. Not only a typical 30 % fiber content in injection
due to the drop-in solution, which these production residues, but also the molding material, 60 % new bio-based
allowed all steps of the production pro- components themselves can be com- polypropylene must currently be added
cess to remain the same. pletely processed into a new product to meet specific product requirements,
in the car at the end of their life cycle, such as retainer pull-off values. This
depending on the decor. results in a footprint of -0.05 kg CO2eq
CO 2 EQ FOOTPRINT AND
RECYCLABILIT Y

The CO2 footprint of a product is particu-

larly decisive for its sustainability. This
is 0.77 kg or around 0.81 kg per kilogram FIGURE 4 The scrap (left) can be shredded (center)
of product for a manufactured interior and then processed into new granulate (right)
door trim weighing approximately 960 g (© Dräxlmaier)
after pressing. A comparable nonwoven
mat made of NFPP Bio+, on the other
hand, has a negative value of -0.38 kg
CO2eq/kg. The CO2 equivalent for the
production of the mat, logistics and com-
ponent manufacturing was not included
in this comparison, as it is identical for
both products. The natural fiber raw
material has a negative value of -0.32 kg
CO2eq/kg. However, while petroleum-
based polypropylene reduces the overall
balance by 1235 kg CO2eq/kg, bio-based
polypropylene actually has a slightly
positive impact on the CO2 footprint with
a value of -0.06 CO2eq/kg, FIGURE 3.
46 www.springerprofessional.com/automotive
 THE BEST FOR
YOUR TEAM.
THE WORLD’S
LEADING
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MAGAZINES
IN ONE PACKAGE.

YOU
FIGURE 5 The new granulate can be used, for example, to mold the ribs on the side flank of a
center ­console (© Dräxlmaier)

for 265 g of molding material with a REFERENCES

[1] International Resource Panel: Global Resources
GET:
desired fiber volume content of 30 % in
Outlook 2019: Natural Resources for the Future
ISSN (Online) 2192-9076

the molding material.

WORLDWIDE

We Want. Online https://www.resourcepanel.org/ 09 September 2019 | Volume 121

A sample of the complete product reports/global-resources-outlook, access:

making up the door inner panel shown November 6, 2023
[2] Bundesregierung (2023a): Die 17 globalen
weighing 960 g and molded-on brackets
Nachhaltigkeitsziele. Online: https://www.bundesre-
and flow paths weighing 265 g thus has gierung.de/breg-de/themen/nachhaltigkeitspolitik/
a CO2 footprint of -0.42 CO2eq/kg for the die-17-globalen-nachhaltigkeitsziele-1553514, AUTOMATED DRIVING

Driverless on the Road to the Future

material structure alone, FIGURE 5. access: November 6, 2023 OBJECTIFICATION
of Assistance Systems
with Humans at the Center
WHEEL BEARING DAMAGE
during Car Transportation
on a Truck
ROAD ILLUMINATION
for Object Detection under
Peripheral Vision

[3] Europaparlament (2021): Wie will die EU bis /// INTERVIE W Jochen Tüting [Chery Europe] /// GUEST COMMENTARY Hans-Hermann Braess

2050 eine Kreislaufwirtschaft erreichen? Online:

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/de/headlines/
OUTLOOK
society/20210128STO96607/wie-will-die-eu-bis- ISSN (Online) 2524-8774

heavyduty
W O R L D W I D E

2050-eine-kreislaufwirtschaft-erreichen, access:
In the automotive industry as a whole, 01
March 2019 | Volume 12
ON- AND OFFHIGHWAY COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

November 6, 2023
and in vehicle interiors in particular, [4] Bundesregierung (2023b): Wachstum ermög­
numerous innovations are currently pro- lichen, ohne den Planeten zu zerstören. Online:
viding an important impetus for equip- https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/themen/
nachhaltigkeitspolitik/jahrestagung-rne-2229410,
ping vehicles in a more environmentally
access: November 6, 2023 CONSTRUCTION MACHINES AND VEHICLES

and climate-friendly manner. A low [5] Umweltdialog (2021): Konsumenten wollen

Electrification and Digitalization
POWERTRAIN INDUSTRIAL TRUCKS SIMULATION

CO2 footprint and the recyclability of as

Hybrid Drive Concept for Intelligent Passenger Assistant High Speed Components

mehr recyclingfähige Verpackungen. Online: https://

Off-highway Applications for Counterbalanced Trucks for Hydraulic Power Supply

/// INTERVIE W Ronald Kruth [AVL] /// GUEST COMMENTARY Arndt Schumann [TriboPlast]

many components as possible, including www.umweltdialog.de/de/wirtschaft/circular-econ-

omy/2021/Konsumenten-wollen-mehr-recyclingfae-
the complete closed loop of all compo- hige-Lebensmittelverpackungen.php, access: ISSN (Online) 2524-8804

nents, is the long-term goal of OEMs and electronics

W O R L D W I D E

November 6, 2023 07-08 July-August 2019 |

Volume 14

suppliers. Interior trim made from NFPP [6] Altomare, L.; Bonetti, L.; Campiglio, C. E.; De
Nardo, L.; Draghi, L.: Biopolymer-based strategies
SEMICONDUCTORS

Bio+ can make an important contribu- Failsafe Electronics

Will Pay off
in the design of smart medical devices and artificial
tion here. In addition, ISCC+ certifica- organs. In: The International Journal of Artificial
tion offers a traceable supply chain in Organs 41 (2018), No. 6, Online: https://www.ncbi.
which all suppliers – and the car manu- nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6159845/, access:
November 6, 2023
facturer – are certified. Dräxlmaier is
ISSN (Online)
2192-9114

VEHICLE COMPUTERS 800-V TECHNOLOGY AUTONOMOUS DRIVING

Require Fundamental Changes Offers Performance Benefits Places New Challenges
in E/E Architectures While Increasing Demands on the Driver

aiming to achieve this certification in

/// INTERVIE W Frank Schütte [dSpace] /// GUEST COMMENTARY Peter Gresch [PGUB Management Consultants]

10 October 2019
| Volume 80

E L EC T RI C D RI
VES | H Y BRI D D RI V
ES | C O M BU S T I O N

the medium term.

ENGINES

The greatest effect, however, will be

achieved by components that ultimately
use the most sustainable option for each SUPERCH ARGING

of their components. The focus here is Turbochargers as

Efficiency
SINTERED MATERIALS
Made of Iron
Boosters
ROTARY SHAFT

on bio-based adhesives and decorative

for the Reduction SEALS
of Cobalt Consumptio Specially Designed FUEL ADDITIVES
n for Use in
High-speed Electric for Biodiesel
Motors to Increase
Oxidation Stability
/// INTERVIEW
Victor Oliveras
Merida and Mark
Hoffmann [Audi]
/// GUEST COMMENTARY
Frank Atzler
[TU Dresden]

surfaces made from climate-friendly raw

materials. In combination, this enables
interior products that not only meet aes-
thetic and functional requirements, but WATCH OUR VIDEO AND
also have the best possible CO2eq bal-
ance and are recyclable.
GET TO LEARN MORE:
www.atz-magazine.com/automotive-package
ATZ worldwide 04|2024    47