Ford looking to cleanup its interiors with new U-M partnership - Latest Cars Wallpapers

Although invisible to the naked eye, most car owners are familiar with microorganisms like mold and mildew, which are most often the cause of smelly interiors. Looking to take a bite out of the $2.3 billion air freshener industry, Ford is hoping to develop new technology with the University of Michigan (U-M) to stop microorganisms before they form.

"Vehicle cabins are exposed to a wide variety of environmental conditions that can make them microbial breeding grounds," said Cindy Peters, Ford Motor Company technical expert. "Based on growing consumer desire for health and wellness solutions, we decided to take a look at the interiors in Ford vehicles with the goal of creating a cleaner, more aesthetically pleasing environment for our customers."

Lead by Dr. Blaise Boles, the U-M collected samples from several company and employee-owned vehicles. The U-M team focused on 10 specific locations within the vehicle for microorganism activity, including the steering wheel, radio buttons, door handles, window switches and gear shift knobs.

"We weren't surprised to find microbial hot spots on the steering wheel, since that is where a driver's hands are most of the time," added Peters. "The console area near the cupholders is a common location for spilled drinks, so it provides an ideal feeding ground for microbes."

In order to combat the growth of microorganism, Ford and the U-M worked with interior coatings supplier Red Spot Paint and additive supplier Sciessent LLC to develop a new paint infused with a silver-ion additive. Although still in the early testing phases, the additive has proven to be a useful tool to fight off the growth of microbes on interior surfaces. As car interiors are exposed to extreme conditions for many years, research are still evaluating the long-term effectiveness of the additive, commercially known as Agion.

"We can't control everything that contributes to stains and odors in our cars and trucks," said Peters. "But we're doing our part to maintain a pleasant cabin environment for our customers over the long haul."

Ford says it could one day use Agion in its production vehicles.


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Source: Leftlanenews