C1-07 Feasibility study on the suitability of recycled materials derived from industrial waste for automotive exterior parts
Principal Investigator
ITO Takayoshi (Sakae Riken Kogyo Co., Ltd.)
Research and Development Overview
In response to the proposed ELV regulations—a pressing issue in the automotive industry—there is an urgent need to secure high-quality recycled materials suitable for automotive use by utilizing post-consumer recycled materials. To ensure a stable supply, it is necessary to realize the “X to Car” initiative, which aims to expand the range of raw material sources.
In this study, using molds with a proven track record in mass production, we will evaluate the suitability of recycled materials—primarily random PP, which raises significant concerns regarding physical properties for automotive applications among market-recovered recycled materials—for use in automotive parts.
Progress and Achievements
We used recycled material derived from storage bins and produced recycled material with properties adjusted to meet the target specifications of “Composite Reinforced PP 1” published by JAMA. We then conducted prototyping and testing to evaluate suitability and identify challenges for practical implementation.
The product evaluated is shown in Figure 1. We adjusted four types of recycled materials containing 25 wt% of post-consumer recycled material. Although we set “Composite Reinforced PP 1” as the target, three of the adjusted recycled materials did not meet the target. However, since the objective was to evaluate suitability, we conducted component evaluations even for materials that did not meet the physical property targets. The results of the component evaluations confirmed that all four types of recycled materials met the component performance requirements.
As a result of our FY2025 efforts, we were able to confirm that component performance can be satisfied even if the physical property target of “Composite Reinforced PP 1” is not met. Going forward, we will proceed with expanding our source materials and evaluating the variability of recycled materials for which we have identified potential for use.
Figure 1: Test products