Paint-free plastic for car bodywork

Mazda has developed a new plant-derived plastic that will help curb its use of oil resources and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The ‘biotechmaterial’ can be dyed to give a higher-quality finish than traditional painted plastic.

To be suitable for exterior parts, plastics also require weather, scratch and impact resistance. The new process produce parts that are as durable as conventional painted ABS plastic yet feature a higher quality finish.

The bio-based engineering plastic will be used for the first time next year on interior components for the MX-5 before being developed for exterior panels.

Environmental impact of car paint

Painting cars can account for over half of the energy used at a car assembly plant and the paint itself is harmful – America’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies it in its top five most hazardous substances.

Solvents, cyanide, heavy metals such as zinc, mercury, and lead, and other toxic elements such as chromium can all be found in car paint, so any development that reduces their use promises to lessen the negative environmental impacts of vehicle manufacturing.