Use of natural fibres in composites in the German and Austrian automotive industry - Market survey 2002: Status, analysis and trends

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Use of natural fibres in composites in the German and Austrian automotive industry - Market survey 2002: Status, analysis and trends

Karus, M. / Kaup, M. / Ortmann, S.

The major automotive suppliers (tier-one suppliers) make the most substantial contribution to the use of natural fibres for composites. The use of natural fibres (exclusive of wood and cotton) for composites has increased: an almost linear increase in the amounts used from 1999 to 2002, with an average yearly growth rate of 22 % can be stated. Until the year 2000, the growth rate was predominantly conditional upon the increased use of flax fibres. The exotic fibres (jute, kenaf, sisal) substantially incrased in 2001 and 2002. The use of hemp fibres shows a continuous increase to about 2200 tons in 2002. The forecasts by tier-one suppliers for the future increase from 2001 to 2005 turned out positively, with an average yearly increase of about 14 to 15 %.Depending on the realised growth rate, one can assume a natural fibre use of about 26000 to 34000 tons for natural fibre composites in the automotive sector. In automobiles that make use of natural fibres for press-moulded parts, the average use amount of natural fibres is between 5 and 10 kg per vehicle. In comparison to the survey of 2000, a clear trend towards thermoplastic matrix systems like polypropylene can be observed. With regard to the processing technique, press-moulded parts keep on leading the way. When it comes to injection-moulding, a slight increase to 4.7 % in 2002 can be observed, currently tracing back to the already serial use of cellulose fibre injection-moulding. With regard to the future trends to 2005, 32 % of the interviewed companies and institutes anticipate an increase in the importance of natural fibre injection-moulding techniques.