Ecobond = Ecofriendly

New biomaterial headliner amps up environmental potential

For years, Johnson Controls has championed environmentally conscious practices, whether manufacturing processes that reduce carbon footprints or new innovations based on recycled or recyclable materials.
Sometimes, it’s hard to see all that commitment—a lot of it occurs behind the scenes and even may be mostly hidden from the consumer. But soon an automobile driver will just have to look up to see a green solution. That’s because Johnson Controls has introduced an alternative to traditional automotive interior headliners with the Ecobond.
The Ecobond headliner is made up of 50 percent biomaterials by mass but still provides the strength and performance that Johnson Controls customers have come to expect from the company.

A Natural Solution

The headliner is built with natural fibers, such as hemp, flax and knaf, instead of fiberglass, making for a lightweight, durable product that’s also made from sustainable materials. Because of its construction, the headliner is lighter than standard thermoplastic headliners, helping to reduce an automobile’s overall weight. That, in turn, assists with fuel economy. What’s more, at the end of the vehicle’s life, the headliner will be easier to recycle, putting less strain on the environment.
That’s good news, considering that many countries are increasing the already high recyclability targets for automakers. For example, lawmakers in the European Union and Japan are calling for 95 percent recyclability of automobiles—or “vehicle recovery”—by 2015.

Tough Stuff

The headliner is made using the company’s Polybond process, which uses a soy-based material blended with petroleum polyols for a foam core. Then, the natural fibers are wrapped around the core and adhered with soy-based adhesives. Finally, a soy-based urethane is applied to bond all the materials together, making for a semirigid headliner.
The process itself is not expected to increase headliner manufacturing costs. Automakers are afforded a superior, ecofriendly alternative—without any economic impact that may derail environmental efforts.