Bridgestone eyes alternative rubber source
Bridgestone is undertaking research in the United States to develop the Guayule plant as an alternative source of rubber. The company says the perennial shrub native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico produces natural rubber in its bark and roots. Its qualities are almost identical to those of rubber harvested from Hevea trees, currently the primary source for the natural rubber used in tires. The growing area of Hevea Brasiliensis is limited to tropical climates close to the equator. By contrast, Guayule is native to desert climates, with a huge potential growing area, Bridgestone says. The company expects to finalize a location in the Southwestern U.S., establish the research farm, and begin construction on the process research center later in 2012. The facility is expected to be fully operational in 2014. Trial rubber production should start in 2015.
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Natural rubber from Guayule is almost identical to natural rubber harvested from Hevea trees, which are currently the primary source for the natural rubber used in tires.
Johnson Controls in bed with Harrison Spinks
Johnson Controls on Jan. 31 announced that it has formed a development relationship with luxury mattress manufacturer Harrison Spinks to integrate pocketed coil spring mattress technology into an automotive seat concept called ComfortThin. The thin-profile seats will be available for the 2015 model year. Conventional urethane foam pads are replaced with a 100% recyclable alternative that provides a 5-20% weight reduction. Applicable for first-, second-, and third-row seats, the technology provides a dramatically thinner, tailored seatback with up to a 20% reduction at the center of the seat and a 35% or more reduction in the bolsters. The active seating surface adapts to occupants of all sizes. Each spring unit is able to react independently, further improving seating life while giving occupants the right amount of support when and where it is needed, according to Johnson Controls.
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The ComfortThin concept seat offers a weight savings of 5-20%.
Researchers have high hopes for composite brake rotors
Researchers at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University and Michigan-based REL Inc. on Jan. 17 announced that they are working on a one-piece aluminum-composite brake rotor that they estimate will shave about 30 lb (14 kg) from a midsize sedan while offering triple the brake life expectancy. Because of high costs, composite brakes today are restricted to motorcycles, racecars, and high-performance sports cars, according to the researchers. They expect to have a functional prototype ready within a year. The innovation is incorporating ceramic particles into an aluminum alloy in such a way to accommodate the differing strain and thermal impacts of the three functional zones common to rotors. Rotors today typically are made of a single material: cast iron.
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REL Inc., a developer of metal-matrix-composite transportation and aerospace components, received a $150,000 Phase I Small Business Innovation Research Grant from the National Science Foundation to develop the initial product design.
SDCmaterials begins field trials for emission control catalysts
SDCmaterials, a Tempe, AZ-based developer of advanced high-performance catalyst materials, has commenced field trials for its Nano-Nano-Micron (NNm) emission control catalyst product. As part of this final phase of pre-production testing, the company’s NNm product will be deployed as the active catalyst ingredient within a critical exhaust system component used on municipal transit buses. This is a joint project between SDCmaterials Inc. and a major European exhaust gas aftertreatment and systems company. The exhaust system components targeted in these field trials rely on high-cost platinum group metals (PGM) to oxidize soot and convert CO and HC into CO2 and water. SDC’s catalysts are produced using a proprietary process that results in a unique nano-scale PGM structure. “The cost and performance benefits of our NNm emission control catalysts have been proven in synthetic gas and vehicle drive-cycle tests with multiple OEMs in various light-duty and heavy-duty emissions control applications,” said Maximilian Biberger, CEO of SDCmaterials Inc. The company has production facilities in Schwarzheide, Germany.
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SDCmaterials’ Nano-Nano-Micron catalyst material is said to “substantially reduce” the amount of platinum group metals required to meet stringent emissions control requirements.
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