Textile designers and vehicle designers were brought together at the Institute of Materials (IoM) this week for a one-day workshop to explore the role of colour and materials for vehicles of the future.

There has been a burst of concept cars with smart and advanced technologies integrated into their inner fabric, such as Toyota's illuminating interior textile and Sheila Clarke's photoluminescent seat covers that glow in the dark. But what will be the colours and materials of the future? Typically, automotive purchases are quite conservative, because it is a large investment for many people. Even so, there are some exciting new material opportunities, such as light weight structural textiles, light emitting polymers and colour changing surfaces. Vehicles of the future will have many of the characteristics of current models. Opportunities for change include technologies that add convenience, such as self-cleaning surfaces; improved safety and comfort, such as materials that become rigid on impact and; lightness and increased fuel efficiency, such as structural textiles.

Image: Chemically coloured stainless steel

Polyethylene (PE) is an exceptional material. Not only is it used to make a wide range of commodity products, including plastic bags and drink cartons, it is used as a ballistic material by the US and UK military. It is suited to these applications because it has exceptional resistance to punching and tearing. Its properties are partly determined by its molecular weight.

In 1970s DSM developed Dyneema, which is classified as an ultra high density PE (UHDPE). As a drawn fibre or sheet it is up to 40% stronger than DuPont Kevlar and 15 times stronger than steel. As a result of its superior resistance to impact, laminated sheets up to 25 mm (1 in.) thick provide the protective lining for armoured military vehicles. Other high performance applications include parachute strings, ropes and bullet proof vests.

Image: PE milk cartons