IPF JAPAN is Japan's largest plastics and rubber trade show and was held at Makuhari Messe.
It is held once every three years, but since the 2020 event was cancelled due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection, the 2023 event will be the first in six years.
Here are some of the exhibitions that caught our attention.
Composites Exhibition
There was an exhibit of automotive exterior panels molded from PP + CNF (cellulose nanofiber).
Cellulose nanofiber is a material made from plant fibers, mainly composed of cellulose, that have been broken down to nanometer size and miniaturized. It is lightweight yet has high strength, and like carbon fiber, it is expected to contribute to weight reduction of automotive parts.
At the exhibition, there was also a display of a vehicle with the exterior panels assembled.
The exterior was painted, and the difference in materials is not apparent, but the side sills were molded with RTM, a cellulose nanofiber + epoxy resin, giving them a wood-grain-like finish. In addition to PP, the roof panel is a blend of PC and the wheel fins are a blend of PA6, which seems to be used in the same way as fiberglass.
This is the Lexus LC500 exhibit, which uses CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastic) for the inner panels.
Speaking of CFRP, the Lexus RC-F is famous for the use of CFRP material for the outer panel of the hood. At that time, the twill weave pattern appeared on the surface and it looked like carbon! but at the time, it looked like carbon fiber.
However, CFRP is now being used not only for the outer panel but also for the inner panel.
Carbon fiber remains an expensive material, but recently there has been a movement to use recycled carbon fiber
However, recently, there is a movement to reduce the cost by using recycled carbon fiber. This may make carbon fiber more accessible to us!
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