Brazilian scientists have developed an effective method to develop a new generation of plastics for making cars from banana and pineapple fibers . Its advantages? They are 3 to 4 times stronger, 30% lighter and much more environmentally friendly than plastics that are used today, as shown today at the Meeting of the American Chemical Association (AMC). Alcides Leão, a researcher at the State University of Sao Paulo (Brazil) who led the study, assures that the nanocellulose fibers obtained from these fruits are almost as hard as Kevlar, the super material used in bulletproof vests. And the best thing is that unlike Kevlar and other plastics, obtained from oil and other hydrocarbons, nanocellulose fibers are 100% ecological .
“We believe that many automobile parts, including dashboards and bumpers, could be manufactured using these nanofibers within two years,” says Leão, who stresses that this will reduce the weight of the cars, which will also save fuel. . As if that were not enough, the new fibers are better resistant to heat, water and oxygen. In addition to the banana, and the leaves and trunks of the pineapple, Leão suggests that fibers obtained from coconut, agave and curaua, an Amazonian plant of the pineapple family, could also be used.
