Mitsubishi Chemical and Honda Motor are jointly developing a PMMA (polymethylmethacrylate) compound for use in car body parts such as doors and front fenders. Two concept cars using these materials, Sustaina-C and Pocket concept cars, will be displayed at the 2023 Japan Mobility Exhibition in Tokyo on November 5, 2023.
Painted steel is the most commonly used material for car bodies, but Mitsubishi Chemical and Honda aim to change that by developing a new PMMA material that can be used for doors, hoods, fenders and other car body parts. The compound, which consists of PMMA and rubber particles, improves the impact resistance needed for car bodies.
PMMA is highly transparent and can be tinted into a variety of colors, allowing manufacturers to create glossy surfaces simply by adding colorants. It also helps reduce CO2 emissions produced during the painting process.
In addition, PMMA can be decomposed into MMA (methyl methacrylate) monomer with high yield by heating. Mitsubishi Chemical plans to start operating a recycling plant in fiscal 2025 to commercialize the PMMA recycling business. With Honda and Microwave Chemical (Microwave
Chemical, a closed-loop recycling trial has produced recycled products of comparable quality to conventional products. Mitsubishi Chemical expects to use this technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 50% over the entire product life cycle compared to current practices.
Prior to commercializing its PMMA recycling business, Mitsubishi Chemical has submitted international patent applications related to recycled raw materials and PMMA made from such recycled raw materials. These applications involve technologies required to meet quality levels comparable to traditional products. The company has been awarded several patents in Japan and is working to obtain patent rights in other countries.
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