Plastics help mold low-carbon cars
By Pan Xiaoyi |
00:00 UTC+8 June 9, 2010
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
GLOBAL chemical companies seeking to capitalize on China's shift to a low-carbon growth strategy are focusing on technologies to make the thriving auto and construction industries greener.
"In the following five to 10 years, China's chemical industry will keep rising by 9 percent to 10 percent annually," said Martin Kraemer, chief executive of Lanxess for Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan, a division of German specialty chemicals company Lanxess AG.
That growth, he said, will be driven by a booming auto market and increased urbanization, and energy efficiency is at the heart of development.
China's chemical industry grew by 9.7 percent in 2009 even as the global industry slumped 5.4 percent amid the financial crisis.
China became the world's largest auto market in 2009, with sales expected to top 14 million vehicles this year. Automobiles account for about a quarter of the nation's greenhouse emissions.
"If Chinese auto makers reduced the weight of their cars by 5 percent, it would lead to a reduction of approximately 1.4 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year, equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions from 240,000 passenger vehicles," said Martin Brudermuller, a member of the board of executive directors of chemical company BASF SE.
In response to the increasing demand for lightweight, cost-effective designs and energy conservation, the automobile industry is moving to replace steel with plastic components.
At Chinaplas 2010, the largest plastics exhibition of its kind in Asia, BASF, Bayer AG and other multinational companies showcased concept cars using plastics and rubber to reduce weight and conserve energy.
Plastic was not only used in interior components such as seats, headrests and dashboards, but also in structural components such as fuel tanks and engines.
The i-mode concept car unveiled by Bayer used polycarbonate for the windscreen and back windows and for roof modules.
"With our polycarbonate, we can produce transparent panels that are up to 50 percent lighter than their glass counterparts," said Ulrich Grosser, a design expert at Bayer MaterialScience.
The technology is at hand. The hard job is selling it to auto makers.
"Before our products are applied by auto makers, they have to do tests on the new materials, which can cost a lot money," said Craig Yeager, global product manager of Houston-based Ascend Performance Material's Vydyne PA66 brand. "So they may be reluctant to do that."
Still, China is leading the world in replacing steel with plastics, industry experts said.
"Chinese auto makers tend to be the first to adapt to the new techniques because they are not as conservative as their counterparts in the Europe and US," said Patrick Thomas, chief executive of Bayer MaterialScience.
"The auto design cycle in China is also shorter than in other countries due to less regulation and standards limitations," added Thomas.
He said some techniques have already been adopted by Chinese domestic car makers, and more will be incorporated into production within the next three years.
Demand for plastics in China's automotive industry this year is expected to reach 1 million tons, according to Adsale Exhibition Services, the organizer of Chinaplas.
The construction industry, too, is moving with the times. Buildings are actually the largest source of greenhouse emissions, accounting for about 40 percent.
"With the rapid urbanization in China and higher quality standards for construction, it is vital to eliminate energy waste," said Thomas.
High-tech paints
Among the solutions multinational companies are marketing are thermal insulation systems and eco-friendly interior paints that can keep the house cool or warm without consuming any electricity.
That cutting edge technology is on show at the Hamburg House in the Urban Best Practices Area of Shanghai Expo. It demonstrates a room kept at a constant temperature of 25 Celsius degrees all year around without the use of air-conditioners or heaters.
The city of Shanghai would consume two-thirds less energy allocated for heating and cooling if green technologies were incorporated into all homes, BASF said.
Low-carbon initiatives in the construction sector have lagged innovation in the auto industry, largely because of government regulations and cost considerations.
"It's a challenge to commercialize insulation systems due to the low investment returns," said Brudermuller. "The cost of energy consumption is not high enough to propel the application of such energy-efficient products."
He said the government has to take the lead in promoting new technology use and setting new standards.
Industry leaders are already working with the government on best-practice emission standards that would force the adoption of more eco-friendly products despite higher costs.
Bayer MaterialScience has moved to take the first bite of the market.
"Our first customers are usually commercial buildings, including supermarkets, restaurants and other chains, which have intensive energy demands," said Thomas.
The company is bringing its "eco-commercial building program" to China. Under the program, the company will gather suppliers together to provide integrated energy-saving solutions to buildings, including insulation systems, lighting, air-conditioning, heating and information technology.
"Although the European and US markets are on the road to recovery, we saw the strongest growth momentum in Asia, especially in China," said Kraemer from Lanxess. "We believe China will lead us into the future."
In 2009, Lanxess reported a drop of 26 percent in its global sales, while sales in China jumped 15 percent from a year earlier.
"In the following five to 10 years, China's chemical industry will keep rising by 9 percent to 10 percent annually," said Martin Kraemer, chief executive of Lanxess for Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan, a division of German specialty chemicals company Lanxess AG.
That growth, he said, will be driven by a booming auto market and increased urbanization, and energy efficiency is at the heart of development.
China's chemical industry grew by 9.7 percent in 2009 even as the global industry slumped 5.4 percent amid the financial crisis.
China became the world's largest auto market in 2009, with sales expected to top 14 million vehicles this year. Automobiles account for about a quarter of the nation's greenhouse emissions.
"If Chinese auto makers reduced the weight of their cars by 5 percent, it would lead to a reduction of approximately 1.4 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year, equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions from 240,000 passenger vehicles," said Martin Brudermuller, a member of the board of executive directors of chemical company BASF SE.
In response to the increasing demand for lightweight, cost-effective designs and energy conservation, the automobile industry is moving to replace steel with plastic components.
At Chinaplas 2010, the largest plastics exhibition of its kind in Asia, BASF, Bayer AG and other multinational companies showcased concept cars using plastics and rubber to reduce weight and conserve energy.
Plastic was not only used in interior components such as seats, headrests and dashboards, but also in structural components such as fuel tanks and engines.
The i-mode concept car unveiled by Bayer used polycarbonate for the windscreen and back windows and for roof modules.
"With our polycarbonate, we can produce transparent panels that are up to 50 percent lighter than their glass counterparts," said Ulrich Grosser, a design expert at Bayer MaterialScience.
The technology is at hand. The hard job is selling it to auto makers.
"Before our products are applied by auto makers, they have to do tests on the new materials, which can cost a lot money," said Craig Yeager, global product manager of Houston-based Ascend Performance Material's Vydyne PA66 brand. "So they may be reluctant to do that."
Still, China is leading the world in replacing steel with plastics, industry experts said.
"Chinese auto makers tend to be the first to adapt to the new techniques because they are not as conservative as their counterparts in the Europe and US," said Patrick Thomas, chief executive of Bayer MaterialScience.
"The auto design cycle in China is also shorter than in other countries due to less regulation and standards limitations," added Thomas.
He said some techniques have already been adopted by Chinese domestic car makers, and more will be incorporated into production within the next three years.
Demand for plastics in China's automotive industry this year is expected to reach 1 million tons, according to Adsale Exhibition Services, the organizer of Chinaplas.
The construction industry, too, is moving with the times. Buildings are actually the largest source of greenhouse emissions, accounting for about 40 percent.
"With the rapid urbanization in China and higher quality standards for construction, it is vital to eliminate energy waste," said Thomas.
High-tech paints
Among the solutions multinational companies are marketing are thermal insulation systems and eco-friendly interior paints that can keep the house cool or warm without consuming any electricity.
That cutting edge technology is on show at the Hamburg House in the Urban Best Practices Area of Shanghai Expo. It demonstrates a room kept at a constant temperature of 25 Celsius degrees all year around without the use of air-conditioners or heaters.
The city of Shanghai would consume two-thirds less energy allocated for heating and cooling if green technologies were incorporated into all homes, BASF said.
Low-carbon initiatives in the construction sector have lagged innovation in the auto industry, largely because of government regulations and cost considerations.
"It's a challenge to commercialize insulation systems due to the low investment returns," said Brudermuller. "The cost of energy consumption is not high enough to propel the application of such energy-efficient products."
He said the government has to take the lead in promoting new technology use and setting new standards.
Industry leaders are already working with the government on best-practice emission standards that would force the adoption of more eco-friendly products despite higher costs.
Bayer MaterialScience has moved to take the first bite of the market.
"Our first customers are usually commercial buildings, including supermarkets, restaurants and other chains, which have intensive energy demands," said Thomas.
The company is bringing its "eco-commercial building program" to China. Under the program, the company will gather suppliers together to provide integrated energy-saving solutions to buildings, including insulation systems, lighting, air-conditioning, heating and information technology.
"Although the European and US markets are on the road to recovery, we saw the strongest growth momentum in Asia, especially in China," said Kraemer from Lanxess. "We believe China will lead us into the future."
In 2009, Lanxess reported a drop of 26 percent in its global sales, while sales in China jumped 15 percent from a year earlier.
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