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Go Green With Cars With Coconut Husks
According to the researchers, it is possible to construct trunk liners, floorboards and car-door interior covers using fibres from the outer husks of coconuts. This could replace the harmful synthetic polyester fibres typically used in composite materials.
"Why coconuts? That's the first thing people ask," The Washington Times quoted engineering professor Walter Bradley, who is leading the research, as saying.
"We knew coconuts were abundant - about 50 billion grown a year. But 96 percent of those coconuts are grown by poor farmers, not big plantations. We wanted to figure out a way to make things better for them, to create a viable new market for them," Bradley added
The income of the 11 million farmers around the world would triple if the coconut car interiors become a rage. Currently the farmers make only about 500 dollars a year.
Other than being less expensive, the coconut fibres have better mechanical properties than synthetic or polyester fibres. They are also environmental friendly. "They''re better for the environment because the coconut husks would have otherwise been thrown away. Coconuts also do not burn well or emit toxic fumes, which is crucial in passing 10 safety-performance tests required for commercial applications," Bradley said. AGENCIES
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