From fuel to interior parts, corn is growing in importance in various aspects of automobile manufacturing and operations. Corn is the main feedstock used in producing ethanol, which can be used as fuel either by itself or as an additive to gasoline, forming E85. Now, the same crop is going to be used in producing a stronger and much improved form of bioplastic. Mazda Motor Corporation, in partnership with leading Japanese companies, research institutes and universities, has developed a new corn-based plastic that can be used for automotive interior parts.

The new bioplastic is made mainly from natural materials – it is 88% corn and 12% petroleum. The new bioplastic turned out to be much stronger than current bioplastics, with three times better shock impact resistance and 25 percent higher heat resistance. This bioplastic is also significantly more environment-friendly – it is carbon neutral because it uses less fossil fuel and has a lowered amount of carbon dioxide emissions. Also, compared with producing petroleum based polypropylene plastics, producing bioplastic reduces energy use by as much as 30%.

Another feature of this newly-developed bioplastic is its higher rigidity, which allows for thinner molds and less materials used. This feature will surely be an advantage in the manufacture of auto parts especially because most parts, both exterior and interior are manufactured through injection-molding. Mazda said that this promising new material will be the subject of further research for the next few years with new advances to be utilized and introduced in future Mazda products.