DEVELOPMENT AND RECYCLING OF PAPER-FIBER REINFORCED COMPOSITES

The automotive industry is currently under significant pressure to curb its greenhouse gas emissions as it becomes increasingly apparent the negative impacts that carbon dioxide and other human-made gases have on the environment and global warming. All the major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have made commitments to reduce their carbon emissions to net-zero by 2040/2050, with intermediate milestones varying by individual company. One of the major initial pushes has been toward the electrification of vehicles, as most of the carbon footprint of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles results from tailpipe emissions. For electric vehicles, the carbon footprint burden is shifted away from the tailpipe emissions and towards the manufacturing and materials used within the car. In existing cars, only 18% of emissions are attributed to the materials, however it is predicted that portion of emissions will increase to 60% by 2040. As such, there is significant interest within the automotive industry to develop new low-carbon footprint materials, as this will be needed to achieve carbon neutrality.