NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Ford Motor Company claims to be the first automaker to formulate and test new foam and plastic components using captured carbon dioxide (CO₂) as feedstock. Within five years, the company expects to be using the new biomaterials in its vehicles.

Foams formulated with up to 50 percent CO₂-based polyols have shown promise in “rigorous” automotive tests, and could be used in seating and under-hood applications. The company claims that the CO₂-derived foam will reduce the use of fossil fuels in Ford vehicles – potentially reducing petroleum use by more than 600 million pounds annually. Other plastic materials are currently under development.

“Ford is working aggressively to lower its environmental impact by reducing its use of petroleum-based plastic and foam,” said Debbie Mielewski, Ford senior technical leader of sustainability.