Ford Bronco Sport becomes first car with parts made from recycled ocean plastic
We all know that consumer products made from recycled ocean plastic include everything from sunglasses and T-shirts to running shoes, yarn and more. And now, Ford is continuing its legacy as a sustainability leader and is the first automaker in the world to use 100 percent recycled ocean plastic for auto parts.
The wire harness clips in the Ford Bronco Sport are made of ocean-harvested plastic, a part often referred to as "ghost gear," and nylon is as strong and durable as the petroleum-based plastic parts often used before, but The cost is reduced by 10%, and the production requires less energy. The use of these small parts also represents an important step in Ford's plans to produce and use other parts made from recycled ocean plastics on other models.
According to the Pew Charitable Trusts, a global NGO, up to 13 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean every year, threatening marine life and polluting coastlines. Much of this pollution comes from the fishing industry, which has come to rely on plastic fishing nets and other equipment due to the material's durability, light weight, buoyancy, and low cost, the same qualities that help make ghost nets (Ghost nets). ), a deadly and growing threat to marine life. Ghost fishing gear accounts for nearly 10 percent of all ocean plastic waste, tangle fish, sharks, dolphins, seals, turtles and birds.
The Ford Bronco Sport's wire harness clip weighs about 5 grams, invisible to vehicle occupants, and attaches to the side of the Ford Bronco Sport's second-row seats and the wires that power the side curtain airbags. Ford testing has shown that the material is as strong and durable as petroleum-based clips, despite spending time in salt water and sunlight.
To create jobs throughout the development process, DSM Engineering Materials collected plastic materials from the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea. Items produced using plastic collected from the ocean include a wide range of consumer products, but auto parts have not been on this list until now.
The process begins with DSM harvesting discarded nylon fishing nets. The plastic was washed with brine, dried and extruded into small pellets, which were then injection-molded into the desired clip shape by supplier HellermannTyton. Ford is already planning to use recycled ocean plastic for other components, including drive brackets, wire shields and floor side rails, all of which will have the strength and durability to meet or exceed the material's required capabilities.
For more than two decades, Ford has used recycled plastic that is not collected from the ocean to produce various auto parts. In a recent case, recycled PET bottles (mineral water bottles) were specifically used to produce lightweight, aerodynamic, and noise-reducing chassis guards for the 2020 Ford Escape.
Adopting components made from recycled ocean plastic opens up new opportunities and builds on global efforts to help reduce marine litter that hinders marine life, as well as further clutter landfills at harvest time Phenomenon.
Post time:May-27-2022