This involves the two elements of the double boot floor, which now partly consist of a biomaterial developed together with Oryzite and SIGIT. The project was launched in 2020 as part of the Seat Innovation Days initiative and, after several years of research, has been put into series production.
At first glance, the luggage compartment of the Seat Arona is unchanged. However, instead of the previous composition of 100% polypropylene with added glass fibre, a blend containing 15% Oryzite is now used.
According to Gerard Suriol, interior design engineer at SEAT S.A., each SEAT Arona contains about 60 grams of rice husks, which translates into an annual production of up to 5 tonnes of by-products from the rice fields of the Ebro Delta, a biosphere reserve in eastern Spain.
In addition to the environmental benefits, the innovation also has practical benefits: the weight of the parts has been reduced by 5.8 per cent and production costs by 2 per cent. Oryzite not only reduces dependence on petroleum products, but also acts as a natural carbon sink, helping to reduce emissions and promote a circular economy.
Source: Seat
