Covestro has been chosen by Toyota to jointly develop a new polyurethane composite material for the new Toyota LQ concept car.
The material is based on a combination of Covestro’s advanced Baypreg F NF technology and Toyota’s expertise in using kenaf fibres, which is attracting attention as an alternative raw material within the automotive industry.
The kenaf fibre-reinforced polyurethane foam composite is characterised by a very low area density of less the one kg/m2 and high strength, making the door trim 30 per cent lighter than that produced from conventional materials.
Hiroaki Ido, Head of Polyurethanes Application Development for Transportation at Covestro’s Japanese Innovation Center, said: “Our joint development makes an important contribution to the design of particularly lightweight and sustainable vehicles.”
“It is also a good example of our company’s focus on using alternative raw materials and establishing a circular economy.”