IIT Guwahati Innovates Sustainable Bamboo-Based Material for Automotives and More

Researchers at IIT Guwahati have developed a high-performance composite material using locally sourced bamboo, offering a cost-effective and eco-friendly solution with potential applications across the automotive, furniture, electronics, and packaging industries.

The Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati researchers have developed an eco-friendly composite material using Bambusa tulda, a fast-growing bamboo species found in Northeast India, combined with biodegradable polymers. Boasting high strength, thermal stability, low moisture absorption, and cost-effectiveness, the composite serves as a sustainable alternative to conventional plastics used in automotive interiors. Led by Dr. Poonam Kumari, Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the research addresses the challenge of plastic waste while contributing to the global push for greener materials in automotive manufacturing and beyond.

IIT Guwahati researchers evaluated four bamboo-based composite formulations made from Bambusa tulda fibers reinforced with either bio-based or petroleum-based epoxies. To enhance compatibility with the base polymers, the bamboo fibers were treated with alkali, significantly improving the material’s durability for real-world applications. The developed composites were rigorously tested across 17 parameters, including tensile strength, thermal resistance, impact durability, water absorption, and cost per kilogram. The results observed bamboo composite made with bio-based epoxy FormuLite as the best performing option with low moisture absorption, significant thermal stability, and mechanical strength. The cost-effective nature of the composite, priced at INR 4300 per kilogram, makes it an eco-friendly solution for automotive parts, such as, vehicle dashboards, door panels and seat backs, among others.

Speaking about the developed composite, Dr. Poonam Kumari said, “Developed composite can be used for designing components/parts in consumer electronics, automobiles, aerospace, sustainable building materials etc. The product will replace wood/iron/plastic components and will have similar cost and lead to fulfil SGD goals (7,8 and 9). This development is in line with Make in India policy under Green Tech Revolution.”

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