Composite materials can reduce weight and boost fuel efficiency
There have been several articles recently about how American automobiles are piling on the pounds while consumers fret about the high cost of fuel. Although there is lots of useful information out there, one point sorely missing from most of the conversations is the importance of reducing vehicle weight, which can be done with increased use of lightweight composite materials. Yes, my blog host makes glass fiber reinforcements for the automotive market, but Owens Corning is not alone in pointing out the benefits of lighter vehicles. For example, carbon fiber maker Zoltek has an article on its website making the case for cleaner and safer vehicles made with composite materials. The article's author is a member of the research staff at the Rocky Mountain Institute, a consulting organization, which says on its own website that lighter weight is the key to making vehicles super fuel efficient and safe. The claim is made in a technical review paper published in the International Journal of Vehicle Design, which reports how a 99-mpg SUV can be made with composite materials. Taking the idea to what may be an extreme, Accelerated Composites of Carlsbad, California, has announced plans to make a 330 mpg hybrid car. On a more modest scale, plenty of weight savings is available to car makers today with composite materials incorporating affordable and readily available glass fiber reinforcements. About 90 percent of all composites produced are made with glass fiber and either polyester or vinyl ester resin.
