Natural fiber composites in the European automotive industry

The use of natural fiber composites for European automotive components has developed mainly during the last 5 years and takes advantage of the important potential of re-planting and sustainable industrial crops, as well as the suitability of flax and hemp to European agricultural production. In fact, the principal fibers now being used for this purpose are flax and hemp, grown mainly in Western Europe; and the subtropical fibers, jute and kenaf, are mainly imported from Asia and South America. The-main objective of this study is to analyze the current status of knowledge, re-search, and commercial applications of natural fibers in the European automotive industry. The content of this study is based on the activities under development in the European Research Program ECOFINA and on a recent report by E.P Eddleston et al. at the U.K. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The study promises an analysis of the European automotive components market and its supply chain in relation to the use of natural fibers. It also covers current attitudes toward the use of natural fiber composites in the automotive components industry, including the important role of providers of processing and textile technologies. The main factors analyzed in this study are: 1. comparative physical and performance proper ties of natural fibers used in the automotive industry, 2. the suitability of natural fiber composites for current automotive process technology, 3: current and potential applications of natural fiber composites for the production of automotive components, 4. performance specifications and requirements for the European automotive industry, 5. current market opportunities and constraints for natural fibers in the European automotive sector, 6: estimated European market size and characteristics, and analysis of current commercial usage and supply chain in each country; and 7. technical status and research priorities, including publicly funded research projects, and reports-from research institutes, universities, and companies operating in the sector.