Sustainability seals the deal for Ford
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17th July, 2011
- Ford and Recycled Polymeric Materials (RPM) have teamed up to deliver environmentally friendly
gaskets and seals made from recycled tyres and bio-renewable content such as soy
- More than 2.2 million pounds of rubber from recycled tyres has been made into seals and gaskets
and more than 210,000 used tyres have been recycled. Some 150,000 pounds of soy has been used to
provide the materials
- The gaskets and seals are featured on 11 North American 2011-model-year Ford Motor Company
vehicles, including F-150, Escape, Mustang, Focus and Fiesta
Ford's use of recycled tyres and soy oil on engine gaskets have helped increase the company's use
of sustainable materials on 11 vehicles.
Ford and Recycled Polymeric Materials (RPM) have found a way to put discarded tyres to good use.
By combining recycled tyres with bio-renewable content, they are delivering environmentally friendly
seals and gaskets for Ford's North American vehicles.
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The gaskets and seals are derived from 25 per cent post-consumer, recycled tyre particulate and
17 per cent bio-renewable content from soy.
In total, more than 2.2 million pounds of rubber from recycled tyres has been made into RPM seals
and gaskets and more than 210,000 used tyres have been recycled. Additionally, 150,000 pounds of soy
has been used to make the materials.
The seals also offer a weight savings, with more than 1,675 tons of weight removed from Ford
vehicles on the road.
“When it comes to finding a way to use more renewable and recyclable content, 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 meets our strict quality and performance
standards, we’ll strive to get these sustainable materials on our vehicles."
The sustainable gaskets were first introduced to Ford in 2008, and have now expanded to include
11 vehicles.
Ford Motor Company vehicles that feature the sustainable seals and gaskets include:
- Ford Escape
- Ford F-150
- Ford F-250
- Ford F-350
- Ford Fiesta
- Ford Flex
- Ford Focus
- Ford Mustang
- Ford Taurus
- Ford Transit Connect
- Lincoln MKS
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Ford’s “Reduce, reuse and recycle” commitment is part of the company’s broader global
sustainability strategy to reduce its environmental footprint while at the same time accelerating the
development of advanced, fuel-efficient vehicle technologies around the world.
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-fibre plastic for interior components.
“Our team continues to develop new technologies that reduce our environmental footprint,”
said Dr. Debbie Mielewski, technical leader, Plastics. “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.”
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