Mazda develops plant fibres for use in car interiors

Mazda has unveiled a new fabric for car interiors made entirely from plant-derived fibres. The fabric was shown at the Tokyo Motor Show on the seat covers and door trim in the all-new Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid.

The biofabric does not contain any oil-based materials and is being hailed as another step towards the “eco-friendly car society”. The fabric has been developed in collaboration with Teijin Ltd and Teijin Fibers Ltd companies with R&D and manufacturing sites near Mazda’s headquarters in Hiroshima.

The new biofabric is resistant to abrasion and damage from sunlight; it is also flame retardant while still meeting the highest quality and durability standards needed for vehicle seat covers. Mazda now plans to strengthen its future research and development on non-food-based materials. In 2006, the company developed a bioplastic which is used on the Premacy Hybrid’s instrument panel and other interior fittings. All of Mazda’s biomaterials fall under the “Mazda Biotechmaterial” brand name.

Seita Kanai, Mazda’s Director and Senior Executive officer in charge of R&D, commented: “We are convinced that our new technology, which enables the manufacture of this material without any oil-based resources, will become a cornerstone for future biotechnologies aimed at reducing the burden on the environment.”

How it works
The biofabric has been made possible thanks to technologies which control the entire molecular architecture of raw resins allowing fibre strength to be improved until the fabric has sufficient resistance to abrasion and light damage for practical use in vehicle seat covers.

It is made of 100 percent polylactic acid – a plastic created by combining large numbers of lactic acid molecules that are made from fermented carbohydrates such as plant sugars. Other crucial qualities necessary for the highest performing fabrics, such as fire retardant properties, were achieved through Mazda’s accumulated experience in surface technologies built up through years of co-operation with several local companies.