Trends

Trends Commentary | Recyclability - Part 4: Insights from the European automotive sector

Trends

Advanced Materials

The automotive sector in Europe accounts for 10% of total consumption of plastic materials. With six million vehicles reaching end-of-life every year, how is the industry meeting the challenge of maximising recycling — and what can we all learn from their efforts?

EU regulators have set ambitious targets for vehicle recycling. For end-of-life vehicles (ELV), 85% of constituent materials must be reused somehow. That includes a significant amount of plastic, which is increasing as manufacturers push to design lighter vehicles that require less fuel. So while average vehicle structure weight is decreasing, the amount of plastic they contain is rising.

This poses two key challenges moving forward: recyclability and use of recycled content.

Streamlining disassembly and recycling

Integrating recyclability at the earliest stages of the design process can help reduce waste and limit overall environmental footprint. Various strategies can be employed to achieve this.

One approach is modularity. Design for disassembly aims to simplify the arrangement of components. This includes standardised fasteners and easy-to-dismantle parts. Reducing component complexity not only leads to easier end-of-life processing, it can extend a product’s life cycle by making it simpler to repair.

Another focus is prioritising the use of mono materials. This ensures individual components are composed of a single material type, making separation and recycling more efficient.

Addressing the recyclability of bonded materials remains a challenge. Innovation is needed to create bonded material combinations that can be effectively recycled. Finding ways to separate bonded materials during recycling will significantly contribute to overall sustainability efforts.

Boosting the use of recycled content

An EU proposal aims to elevate the inclusion of recycled materials in new vehicles, stipulating a minimum of 25% recycled plastic materials in new designs. So how do you get more recycled content into the car?

Material quality is critical. Manufacturers need materials that pass automotive resistance and safety tests, comply with standards, and are high in recycled content. Additives can enhance the properties of recycled content to meet the needs of automotive manufacturers.

For example:

Antioxidants: prevent degradation of plastics caused by exposure to heat, light, and oxygen. This extends the material's lifespan and maintains its structural integrity over time.
Thermal conductors: can be infused into recycled plastics to improve heat dissipation, and conductive additives make it possible to dissipate electrostatic charges. This is particularly useful for components like electronics housings.
Flame retardants: can be introduced to enhance fire resistance. This is crucial for applications where fire safety is a concern, like interiors or electrical components.
Additives: can be used to enhance the surface finish of recycled plastics for a smoother, more aesthetic appearance.
Scratch-resistant coatings: can be applied to recycled plastics to prevent abrasion and maintain visual appeal and durability.

Innovation in action: Polestar

One manufacturer pushing the potential of recyclability is Polestar. Their goal is to develop a fully climate-neutral car by 2030. One thing they’re looking at is material selection for seating.

Today’s cars typically feature a wide array of materials bonded together with different adhesives. Polestar have identified a single material — a highly recyclable thermoplastic — which can be used for all the soft components of their car’s interior.

This mono-material approach means that, when the time comes, everything from textiles to foam and adhesives can be removed and recycled together.

Driving sustainable change

At IMCD, we’re helping advance sustainable solutions for the global automotive sector. Our focus lies in replacing structural metal components with reinforced, recycled polyamide fibres.

The automotive interior showcases a sleek dashboard, streamlined air vents, and a polished rearview mirror, with lush greenery peeking through the window.

These innovations extend to critical areas like longerons and door reinforcement parts. We also supply for the cooling components of electric vehicles and automotive enclosures that require specialised properties, including fire resistance and antistatic capabilities.

Another pivotal aspect of our work involves interior components, such as dashboard panels, crafted from recycled materials and natural fibres, such as hemp fibres from Ecotechnilin initially developed to meet the 100% sustainability needs of Renault Group.

Augmenting the properties of recycled plastics is another facet of our expertise. Our additives enhance weather resistance, static control, heat and aging resilience, fire resistance, hydrolysis resistance, chemical resistance, lightweight characteristics, mechanical robustness, conductivity/resistivity, surface aesthetics, sustainable attributes, and hazard mitigation.

In the end, the road to sustainability follows a different route for every company. Wherever you are on your journey, our experts at IMCD are here to help you make informed decisions all along the way.

Ask IMCD | Expert Q&A

We sat down with Mats Dhamen, is Business Development Manager – Advanced Materials at IMCD to answer a question about the Circular Revolution.

Which industries are leading the way in developing innovative new plastics?

“The auto industry is becoming a real agent for change. Electric vehicles are the future, and their design is totally different from traditional cars. As the industry evolves, so does its requirements for materials. For example, chemical resistance was critical for the materials used in petrol cars. But it’s not so important for electric vehicles. That change enables innovation — and provides the perfect opportunity to boost recyclability.”