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Go Green and Show Your True Colors
Research shows that a car company's reputation for being socially responsible ranks high as a consideration for car buyers making a buying decision.* As a leading supplier to the automotive industry, our solutions align with Bayer's global sustainability initiatives to reduce energy consumption and emissions. We focus both on how we conduct business and on the solutions we bring to a range of applications — solutions that also can support a cost-effective automotive development process from design through mass production. We can make it easy for you to go green whether you're focusing on:
- Lighter vehicles that deliver better fuel economy, producing less CO2 emissions,
- Bio-based materials and recycle content using less petroleum and resulting in less landfill, and/or
- In-use and end-of-life green solutions emitting fewer volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Developing more fuel-efficient vehicles and alternative energy vehicles is integral to reducing the amount of CO2 and other greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere. Consider that highway vehicles account for an estimated 26 percent of U.S. CO2 emissions (www.fueleconomy.gov). Then consider how each material decision can make a difference. For example, using polycarbonate glazing can slash glazing weight by up to 50 percent compared with glass, and this reduced mass can lead to reduced fuel consumption and, in turn, reduced CO2 emissions.
Our Texin® thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) materials provide a green benefit in two ways. First, they can be used in interiors without requiring paint; eliminating paint provides a green benefit during production. Second, TPUs can replace polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in interior "skin" applications. TPUs release minimal-to-zero VOCs in the interior while PVC, the material they replace, emits significant VOCs over the lifetime of the vehicle. Finally, at the end of vehicle life, TPU is more environmentally friendly than PVC depending upon the method of disposal.
Our polyurethanes also have low VOCs compared with other structural plastics. Polyurethane is also a recyclable material and can be ground and used as filler while flexible polyurethane foams can be shredded and rebound for applications such as carpet padding. Through glycolysis, polyurethanes can be recycled to recover their polyol content (polyol is a key component of polyurethane).
Our bio-based polyurethane foams utilize relatively high levels of natural oil polyols (NOPs) from soybeans and other fatty seeds, instead of petroleum-based polyols. By basing our polyurethane foams on renewable materials, we contribute less to the depletion of fossil resources and less to greenhouse gas emissions. We're putting the technology to work in seating for a major OEM and expect that with properties comparable to traditional materials, the number of applications will accelerate rapidly.
Bayer MaterialScience thermoplastics are recyclable materials making them green at the end of their lifecycle. As part of our ongoing commitment to sustainability, we're venturing into the realm of polycarbonate blends containing bio-based and post-consumer recycled plastics. Examples of green Bayer thermoplastics include Makroblend® BC (contains up to 40% bio-based polylactide) and Bayblend® GR (contains up to 30% post-consumer recycled content) polycarbonate blend resins for automotive interiors which are durable options with good impact and stiffness properties.
Soft-feel polyurethane coatings based on high-grade coating raw materials from the Bayhydrol® and Bayhydur® product line are water-based versus solvent-based, which makes them environmentally friendly. Soft-feel coatings also have very low VOC emissions, adding to their allure in today's green market. And, our polyurethane-based topcoats for exterior parts boast an environmentally friendly formulation, with a high polymer and low organic solvent content.
Headlamps that incorporate light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as their light source and include Makrolon® polycarbonate in the collimator lens to bundle and focus the light, as well as in the outer lenses to offer superior impact protection at a lower weight than glass, offer the eco-friendly benefits of low energy consumption critical for electric/hybrid vehicles and high life expectancy.
Even the infrared absorbers specially attuned to Makrolon ensure optimum thermal protection for the vehicle interior when used in glazing for greater comfort using less energy from air conditioning.
Bayer MaterialScience waterborne adhesives based on Dispercoll® U polyurethane dispersions offer environmental advantages over solventborne technologies. They have no VOCs and, in addition to the environmental benefits, have advantages from a worker hygiene and safety standpoint and are supplied at 100 percent solids. They are used as bonding substrates used in automotive interior trim, including plastics to metal, vinyl to plastics and vinyl to wood composites.
Finally, Bayer MaterialScience's eco-friendly waterborne resin coatings technologies are UV-cured for a soft feel and are the latest advancement in interior coatings with a small energy footprint for processing. Bayer MaterialScience ambient cure water-based coating technologies meet and exceed performance and VOC requirements established for the Automotive Refinish market. Bayer MaterialScience's waterborne chemistry even allows for lower baking temperatures and less energy consumption overall.
*Reference to a results in study shared by Scott Miller of Synovate in May 2, 2009, article by Bill Cooke titled "Automotive Market Research Perspectives of Selling 'Green' in a Try-to-Survive Market" posted on greencarcongress.com.
For more information contact David Loren at 248-475-7729 or david.loren@bayerbms.com.
Bayer MaterialScience LLC \ 100 Bayer Road \ Pittsburgh, PA 15205-9741 USA
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