ford tequilamaker mix for auto parts
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today
Arab Today, arab today
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today

A car cocktail

Ford, tequila-maker mix for auto parts

Arab Today, arab today

Arab Today, arab today Ford, tequila-maker mix for auto parts

Researchers are studying ways to use components of the agave plant
Mexico City - Arab Today

Booze and driving are a bad combination, but US auto company Ford and Mexico's tequila maker Jose Cuervo have found a way to mix together.

The two companies have joined forces to explore the possibility of transforming fibers from agave, the plant used to make tequila, to create bioplastic that could replace fiberglass or caulk.

Researchers are testing the material's durability and resistance to heat to see if it can be used in components such as wiring harnesses, air conditioning units and storage bins.

The bioplastic could help reduce the weight of a vehicle and cut energy consumption, while slashing pollution by using less petrochemicals.

"Agave is a good replacement and it's lighter in weight," Debbie Mielewski, the senior technical leader at Ford's sustainability research department, told AFP.

- Lighter cars -

Mielewski has worked on finding renewable materials for vehicle components since the 1990s, helping Ford find alternatives to petrol-based products, whose costs are affected by global oil prices.
In 2001, she and her team designed soy-based foam, which is used to make car seats that made their debut seven years later in the legendary Ford Mustang.

Now the seats of all Ford vehicles produced in North America are made of biomaterials.

"The average vehicle contains about 400 pounds (180 kilos) of plastic and our goal is to replace as much as possible with sustainable biomaterials, further reducing our use of petroleum-based plastic," Mielewski said.

The company uses materials found in the regions where vehicles are manufactured.

In Asia, Ford uses kenaf, a tropical plant. In the United States, it's cotton fiber. And in Canada, wheat straw.

Mielewski realized that agave could be used at Ford's factory in Hermosillo, in the northwestern state of Sonora.

She thought of the first tequila company that came to mind, Jose Cuervo.

"I think it will be a revenue stream for them and agave farmers," she said.

- Other automakers interested -

To make tequila, the heart of agave -- a plant with tall, thick and pointy leaves -- is harvested, roasted and ground before its juices are squeezed for distillation.

More than 700,000 tonnes of agave are used every year to make Mexico's famous drink, and 40 percent of the husk is discarded, according to the Tequila Regulation Council.

Jose Cuervo, which has been making tequila since 1795, uses some of the fibers as compost for its fields while local artisans make crafts and paper from the byproduct.

Cristobal Mariscal, Jose Cuervo's director of institutional relations, said the company is exploring the possibility of using agave for the large-scale production of paper.

Ana Laborde, founder of Biosolutions, a Mexican company that makes bioplastics with agave, told AFP that "more and more automobile companies are interested in incorporating natural fibers into their auto parts."

Laborde's firm, which is not working with Ford, makes bags and packages but it is also experimenting with polymer that could be used for vehicles.

She said making such materials for cars would be a commitment toward the environment instead of profits because there is no large market for it for now.

"By reducing the weight of a car, it uses less fuel and it pollutes less," Laborde said.

Source: AFP

arabstoday
arabstoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

ford tequilamaker mix for auto parts ford tequilamaker mix for auto parts

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

ford tequilamaker mix for auto parts ford tequilamaker mix for auto parts

 



GMT 21:16 2016 Monday ,27 June

Zaki Badr discusses cleaning problem in Giza

GMT 21:46 2017 Saturday ,14 January

Turkey arrests 60 businessmen for alleged Gulen ties

GMT 22:38 2017 Friday ,24 March

Abbas meets with Merkel in Berlin

GMT 09:02 2017 Monday ,27 March

Tunisian Premier Concludes Visit to Sudan

GMT 15:54 2017 Friday ,01 September

Attorney General Directs Prosecutors to inspect Prison

GMT 09:22 2017 Sunday ,31 December

HM King condoles with Afghanistan President

GMT 10:12 2016 Wednesday ,06 April

Strong dollar, mild weather shrink H&M profits

GMT 17:03 2016 Saturday ,24 December

7 police killed in attacks in Afghansitan

GMT 13:51 2017 Friday ,17 March

Israel denies Syria shot down a warplane

GMT 04:08 2017 Thursday ,05 January

Carbon tax can fund clean energy transition

GMT 19:27 2016 Wednesday ,14 September

Alstom to go ahead with plans to shut down Belfort plant
Arab Today, arab today
 
 Arab Today Facebook,arab today facebook  Arab Today Twitter,arab today twitter Arab Today Rss,arab today rss  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
arabstoday, Arabstoday, Arabstoday