Choosing More Sustainable Materials

We are working to improve the sustainability of our vehicles by using more sustainable materials. This includes increasing the use of recycled, renewable, recyclable and lightweight materials. Recycled materials incorporate post-consumer and/or post-industrial waste materials; renewable materials are made from plant-based materials; and lightweight materials use special materials and/or designs that provide the same or better performance as other alternatives with less weight.

Recycled Materials

We have focused our efforts to increase recycled materials on non-metallic parts, which traditionally have little or no recycled content. As described previously, we are mandating the use of post-consumer recycled materials in multiple exterior black parts as part of our comprehensive resin strategy. These materials were used in the underbody system of the 2009 Ford Flex, which won the Society of Plastics Engineers 2008 Vehicle Engineering Team Award for use of innovative materials. The Flex's recycled plastic underbody system uses approximately 20 pounds of post-consumer recycled waste per vehicle, while reducing costs by 10 to 40 percent. We are also using post-consumer recycled carpeting in many exterior parts that use nylon resins, including air cleaner housings, engine fans, fan shrouds, HVAC temperature valves, engine covers, cam covers and carbon canisters.

All of Ford's European vehicles use recycled polymers, where these are seen as contributing to a sustainable material supply and providing a more sustainable solution. In the Ford Focus, for example, the battery tray is made of 50 percent recycled materials, the carpets contain approximately 20 percent recycled content, the air conditioning housing contains 20 percent recycled content and the fan shroud contains 25 percent recycled content.

We are also using recycled materials for interior and surface parts. This can be much more challenging than using recycled materials for underbody, subsurface and exterior black parts, because it is difficult to get the necessary appearance and performance when using recycled materials. In the U.S., we are continuing to expand our use of recycled seat fabrics and seat components that meet all appearance and performance requirements. The following table highlights these latter efforts.

Seat-Related Recycled Materials Achievements1

By the 2009 model year, the seat fabrics in new or redesigned vehicles will have least 25 percent post-industrial recycled content. In addition, many of our non-woven headliner fabrics now contain 50 to 75 percent recycled yarns, depending on their color.

Renewable Materials

We are also actively researching and developing renewable material applications that will reduce our overall use of petroleum products, while providing superior performance. For example, research scientists at Ford's Research and Innovation Center in the U.S., Ford's Research Center in Aachen Germany, and Ford of Brazil are focused on developing automotive foams, plastics and composites derived from renewable resources.

Since 2002, our researchers have led the development of soy-based polyurethane foams for automotive applications. The manufacture of soy foam reduces carbon dioxide emissions, decreases dependency on oil and increases the utilization of renewable, agricultural commodities. In 2007, Ford was the first automaker to implement this innovative technology (on the seat cushions and seat backs of the Ford Mustang), and we have since migrated its use to the Ford Expedition, F-150, Focus and Escape, the Mercury Mariner, and the Lincoln MKS and Navigator. In these vehicles, soy polyol replaces a portion of the standard petroleum-based polyol. Within a year, Ford will be using soy foam seats on more than one million vehicles, which will reduce petroleum oil usage by approximately 1 million pounds annually. Life-cycle analyses show a net decrease of 5.5 pounds of CO2 per pound of soy oil used, resulting in a net decrease of greater than 5.3 million pounds of CO2 and 1 million pounds of petroleum conserved annually for the vehicles on which we have already implemented soy foam. The soy foam used on the Mustang alone is expected to deliver a CO2 reduction of 605,000 pounds annually.

Ford has been recognized for this innovative technology through multiple awards, including the United Soybean Board Excellence in New Uses Award (2006), the Society of Plastics Engineers' Environmental Division Award (2008), the Society of Automotive Engineers' International Environmental Excellence in Transportation Award (2008), and the Society of Plastics Engineers' Automotive Division Innovation Award in the Environment category (2008).

Ford has licensed its soy foam technology to two companies – John Deere and Sears Manufacturing – that are investigating soy foam for seating applications in their agricultural equipment products. Soy foam not only uses a sustainable, agricultural crop but offers the potential for cost savings and stability from petroleum-product price swings. Ford continues to collaborate with the United Soybean Board, which has sponsored research grants for new applications using soy products. For example, Ford scientists are currently assessing the use of soy meal and flour as a filler in synthetic rubber applications.

We are using engineered wood technology, which is both a recycled and a renewable resource, on several interior applications in North American vehicles. This wood has been recycled and reassembled and then is stained to give it a warm, rich appearance. In addition, the use of engineered wood eliminates many of the extra processing steps necessary in producing real wood automotive trim parts, and the processing required is more environmentally friendly. For example, water-based stain can be used instead of solvent-based, and a solvent wash to remove oils is not needed. Additional bleaching and sealing operations are also eliminated, which greatly reduces the production of volatile organic compounds. Engineered wood technology also uses input materials more efficiently, so less waste material is sent to landfills. Engineered ebony wood was implemented on the 2008 Lincoln Town Truck, the 2008 and 2009 Navigator and the 2008 MKX. This technology will also be used on the 2009 MKS.

We are also using renewable materials on our European vehicles. For example, the Ford Mondeo uses a mixture of 50 percent kenaf plant fiber and 50 percent polypropylene in the compression-molded interior door panel. The average Ford vehicle sold in Europe uses between 10 and 20 kilograms of renewable materials, depending on the vehicle size class.

In addition, Ford researchers are developing new implementations of other renewable materials, such as corn-based, compostable and natural-fiber-filled plastics for automotive applications. These materials will help to reduce the resource burden and waste generated by our vehicles and will help to reduce the weight of vehicles and improve their fuel economy.

For example, we are developing a sustainable replacement for the fiberglass now used between the headliner of a vehicle and the roof sheet metal. The replacement material is bio-based, reduces weight, improves acoustics and neutralizes odor.

We are also developing natural-fiber composites as a potential substitute for the glass fibers traditionally used in plastic automotive components to make them stronger. For example, we are assessing the possibility of substituting up to 30 percent of the glass-fiber reinforcement in injection-molded plastics with sisal and hemp natural fibers. These parts have competitive mechanical and thermal properties and good surface appearance, and can be cost competitive. These natural-fiber reinforced parts also reduce vehicle weight significantly and reduce life-cycle CO2 emissions, compared to glass-fiber-reinforced parts.

Finally, we are investigating ways to use plastics made entirely from sustainable resources such as corn. These bio-based materials could have multiple benefits, including reduced dependency on petroleum, reduced CO2 emissions and the ability to compost instead of landfill materials at end of life. Ford researchers have made considerable inroads with polylactic acid (PLA) – a biodegradable plastic derived completely from the sugars in corn, sugar beets, sweet potatoes and other vegetables. When plastic parts made from PLA reach the end of their useful life, they can biodegrade in 90 to 120 days. By contrast, traditional petroleum-based plastics are projected to remain in landfills for up to 1,000 years. We are also assessing bio-yarns to make plant-based fabrics.

Lightweight Materials

We are also actively pursuing the development of cutting-edge materials to reduce the weight of our vehicles and improve their fuel economy without compromising safety or performance. For example, we are using nanotechnology to develop advanced lightweight materials that will allow us to decrease vehicle weight without sacrificing strength, safety or performance. Much of this work focuses on developing the ability to model material properties and performance at the nanoscale, which will allow us to develop better materials more quickly and with lower research and development costs. For example, Ford researchers recently implemented virtual aluminum casting technology, which uses nanoscale modeling of one commonly used aluminum alloy to improve the performance and reduce the costs of lightweight aluminum engine blocks. We are continuing our work with Boeing and Northwestern University, begun in 2007, to expand nanoscale modeling to other alloy types. This research will allow Ford to develop and implement better lightweight materials and significantly reduce the research, testing and prototyping costs and time required to bring these new materials to production vehicles. This technology will also advance Ford's goal of utilizing more recycled and recyclable materials by improving our ability to incorporate recycled aluminum without compromising the materials' performance characteristics.

In addition to this modeling work, Ford is experimenting with nano-filler materials in metal and plastic composites to reduce their weight while increasing their strength. For example, we are developing the ability to use nano-clays that can replace glass fibers as structural agents in reinforced plastics. Ford researchers are also investigating new types of steel that are 10 times stronger than current steels, strengthening foams that are strong enough to stabilize bodywork in an accident but are light enough to float on water, and surface coatings that reduce engine friction and remain intact even under the most adverse conditions.

Ford is also increasing the use of aluminum and magnesium to reduce vehicle weight. For example, we are currently working on a liftgate that combines a lightweight, die-cast magnesium inner panel with two stamped aluminum outer panels. The new liftgate represents a weight savings of more than 20 pounds, which in turn may allow for the use of smaller-displacement engines and lighter-weight suspensions and chassis components. This liftgate is planned to launch on the 2010 Lincoln MKT.

In Europe, we launched a lightweight liftgate inner panel on the 2009 Ford Kuga, which reduced weight compared to a steel liftgate inner panel by 40 percent and reduced costs by 10 to 20 percent. This liftgate inner panel was a finalist for the Society of Plastics Engineers' 2008 Chassis/Hardware/Powertrain Innovation Award. Ford researchers in Europe are also developing alternative (copper-based) wire harness technologies that will enable significant weight reduction.

For more information on our weight-reduction activities, please see the Sustainable Technologies and Alternative Fuels Plan.