By Plasteurope.com correspondent

With the automotive industry increasing the use of reclaimed-plastic materials, maintaining air quality inside the vehicle and surface properties for the exterior becomes essential. In keeping with the same, Spanish plastics technology centre Aimplas (Valencia; www.aimplas.net) has launched the Surftop project to study the air quality and effects of using recycled plastics from automotive waste.

The surface characteristics of the material can affect its appearance in terms of gloss, colour, or roughness, and its bonding capacity, especially for parts that are painted, besides resistance to wear, impact, scratching, and chemical agents. For interior parts, it is necessary to guarantee low emissions of volatile organic compounds and odours from recycled plastic materials, in order to comply with the requirements of manufacturers, Aimplas said.

Related: Aimplas joins zero-waste project for bio-based industrial ecosystems

Project participants include Valencia-based Prisma Soporte Industrial, a supplier of injection-moulded automotive painted parts, and compatriot recycling company GBP Metal Group, which will provide post-consumer recycled materials from specific car parts for the project.

The research project is funded by the Valencian Institute of Competitiveness and Innovation (IVACE+I, Valencia; www.ivace.es/index.php/es) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF, Brussels; www.ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/funding/erdf).