Recycles tires and soybean oil make for good engine seals

Recycles tires and soybean oil make for good engine seals

Ford and auto supplier Recycled Polymeric Materials (RPM) have found a way to put used tires to good use. They are combining the tires with bio-renewable content to make environmentally friendly seals and gaskets for Ford vehicles.

Ford says the gaskets and seals are 25 percent recycled tires and 17 percent soy oil and that it has used more than 2.2 million pounds of rubber from 210 used tires to make the seals and gaskets.

“When it comes to finding a way to use more renewable and recyclable content in our vehicles, Ford and our suppliers are looking at every part of a vehicle,” said Dr. Cynthia Flanigan, technical leader, Research and Innovation. “As long as an application makes sense and upholds strict quality standards, we’ll look to get these sustainable materials inside our vehicles.”

The sustainable gaskets were first introduced to Ford in 2008 and have now expanded to include 11 vehicles. The seals also offer a weight savings, with more than 1,675 tons of weight removed from Ford vehicles on the road.

Over the past several years, Ford has concentrated on increasing the use of recycled plastics and bio-based materials whenever possible, provided these materials are environmentally favorable and meet all durability and performance requirements. Examples include soy foam seat cushions, wheat straw-filled plastic, recycled resins for underbody systems, recycled yarns on seat covers and natural-fiber plastic for interior components.

“Our team continues to develop new technologies that reduce our environmental footprint,” said Dr. Debbie Mielewski, technical leader, Ford Plastics Division. “We have already been successful in incorporating soy foam seats on all North American vehicles and are actively expanding the research front into a variety of new plastics and rubber areas.”