Celanese, International Paper win accolades for automotive console composite

In Dallas, the Society of Plastics Engineers in Automotive has awarded Celanese and International Paper their Environmental Award for Sustainable Materials in Automotive for jointly developed cellulose fiber-polypropylene thermoplastic composites.

The composites are being used in the center console of Ford Motor Company’s Lincoln Continental after it was determined the blend met stability and performance requirements.  The composite reduces weight by up to 25% per automotive part, enables cycle time reductions of 20-40%, and reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 15 million kilograms. Ford was also able to use the existing tooling when switching to the new composite.