Car shock absorber material created from date palm waste
Agricultural waste from date palms could create a low-cost, durable composite material that could revolutionize the auto industry.
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New materials are expected to change the automobile manufacturing industry in the future. Photo:Physics. |
Scientists from the Universities of Portsmouth and Cambridge in the UK have successfully developed a new type of bio-synthetic material from date palm biomass,PhysicsThe material is durable, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly, and can be used for non-structural parts such as door linings and shock absorbers in cars.
Mechanical property tests showed that the composites reinforced with date palm fibers had significantly improved strength and toughness compared to the previous biomaterials from agricultural waste. In addition, they are easily recycled and can be completely biodegradable in the natural environment, advantages that composites reinforced with glass or carbon fibers do not have.
“Date palm biomass offers a great opportunity to develop low-cost, durable and lightweight biocomposites,” said Dr Hom Dhakal from the University of Portsmouth. “The research has important implications for the automotive industry as the new material could reduce vehicle weight, leading to lower fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions.”
Date palm is one of the most popular industrial crops in North Africa and the Middle East. This industry generates a large amount of agricultural waste every year because they are grown only for their fruit. The rest is mainly burned or buried underground, causing serious environmental pollution.
“It will take a long time to convince people to use new synthetic materials reinforced with natural fibers. It is a long journey and we have to be persistent if we want to make a change,” said Dhakal.
The research was published in the journal Industrial Crops and Products.
