Super corn microbe, self-healing concrete, jute gene tweak, mushroom root Styrofoam replacement, biodegradable food packaging and more: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the week of March 6th

#4 Elastoskin based paper honeycomb car trunk floor

In China, Green & Light Automotive Components introduced an easy-to-clean surface covering for car trunk floors using polyurethane paper honeycomb technology. The trunk floor surface is covered by Elastoskin, a polyurethane skin technology from BASF. Compared to conventional non-woven fabric surfaces, this newly developed product is easier to clean, offers great freedom in the design process, and has excellent aging and emission properties, according to the BASF press release.

The honeycomb structure has been used in trunk covers, headliners, and hat racks. A paper honeycomb enclosed by two fiberglass mats is foamed and pressed with the Elastoflex E semi-rigid polyurethane foam. This can reduce component weight by 20-30% while retaining the same strength and stiffness.

“For many years, BASF has been supporting the trend towards weight reduction in the automotive industry with its honeycomb technology. This development process symbolizes BASF’s global approach, and this innovative material solution leads to new possibilities for car interior components,” said Andy Postlethwaite, Senior Vice President of Performance Materials Asia Pacific.
More on the story, here.