Can bamboo replace the carbon fibre?

A bamboo

Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants in the world. Certain species of bamboo can grow 35 inches within 24 hour period and that is unbelievable.  Bamboos are typical significance for South, Southeast and East Asia. It can serve as a building material, food source and as a versatile raw product. Will be bamboo the next “carbon fiber” in automotive industry?

Real carbon fibre is still quite expensive to make in large quantities, requires quite a lot of effort to manufacture, when you made it poorly, it can be very brittle, but what is more important – it is not recyclable and has a bad impact on environment while being produced. Gary Young, a manufacturer of surfboards, says : “With the right approach, bamboo could be used in many applications in automotive industry thanks to its qualities plus it doesn’t have a negative effect on the environment.

A future bamboo car

Bamboo really looks promising on many levels. It could pass several difficult problems connected to new-car production. It could withstand flame and fire resistance standards. The bamboo wood costs pennies per pound and it is perhaps the best renewable material, as it grows very quickly. What is more, the dust from a bamboo  weave production decomposes over time.

Toyota’s Lexus division is one of car-makers committed to renewable materials and now it is offering 8 models of Lexus’ bamboo-rimmed steel wheel. According to engineers’ words, if you feel comfortable at the wheel, you don’t feel so tired, even after a long drive.

A bamboo-rimmed steering wheel

There is a lot of questions around using bamboo at the high temperatures common in automotive industry and fabrication. So for now carbon fiber still can’t be replaced by bamboo, but things could change soon or later.

A car – all bamboo on wheels except engine

In Shanghai Metal Corporation we offer a wide range of products for automotive industry for example steel, aluminium, carbon steel. If you want to learn more, visit our website or send us inquiry. You could also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LindkedIn or download our new application by scanning QR code below.

Silvia M.//SMC Editor

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Credits : inhabitat.com, trendblast.com, bbc.com, greencarreports.com, wikipedia.org, googleimages

 

 

 

 

 

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Artificial Mineral Re-Created by Reverse Engineering Tech

How easy can you get hold of precious metals and stones in their natural form? Gold, copper, tantalum, aluminum is surely more commonly seen in varying forms of artifacts such as technological, artistic, auto parts, electric, machinery, etc. In addition to their number of applications, these metals also have great recycling properties, giving life to new devices at any time.

However, once the precious elements leave their mineral form, there is no way back to it until two artists had a great idea to create an artificial mineral from old metal parts. As part of the project “Revital Cohen and Tuur Van Balen” an artificial mineral was created: H / AlCuTaAu. The project was commissioned for Arbeid van de Dag, De Brakke Grond, Amsterdam.

The artwork uses precious metals and stones that previously comprised old computers, electric drills, cellphones, and other machinery components recovered from a bankrupt factory. The reverse-engineering work is a result of extensive research and “speaks of the provenance of technological artifacts and the value of labor”, says Cohen and van Balen, the artists behind the art piece. They have a really poetic way of showing the tension and entanglement between technology and nature to create artificial minerals, unnatural animals and poetic machines.

Cohen and van Balen are well known artists with art pieces such as 75 Watt acquired as a permanent collection by the Museum of Modern Art, MOMA in New York City.

Shanghai Metal Corporation offers a wide range of metals such as copper and aluminum, widely used in technological, artistic, auto, electric, machinery artifacts. To find out more, please visit our Website, WordPress, LinkedIn , Twitter , Facebook  and Instagram. Or you could try our new mobile app by scanning our QR code. Moreover, we sell directly from Alibaba , EC21 ,Tradekey or directly at sales@shanghaimetal.com.

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Source and pictures: cohenvanbalen.com, thecreatorsproject.vice.com, nextnature.net

Camilla G.//SMC Editor