Innovative materials and lightweight construction
The combination of natural fibres and (bio)plastics makes it possible to produce new materials that reduce the consumption of finite resources and at the same time achieve improved properties such as lightness and stability. One of the key factors behind this dynamic development is the mass production of bio-based carbon fibres. These comparatively lightweight materials can be used to reduce the energy consumption of vehicles and aircraft. Another example of bio-based innovation is natural rubber extraction from dandelions for the production of tyres1.
The use of innovative materials can contribute to achieving the following SDGs:
1 Continental is already producing a bicycle tyre called Taraxgum that features a tread made from pure dandelion rubber. The company aims to cover 10% of its natural rubber requirements from dandelions in the long term, but stresses that it will only be able to develop concrete steps for industrialisation towards the end of the decade. [25.06.2024]