Performance comparison between glass and basalt fibre-reinforced composites for an automotive seat backrest

In recent years, the automotive industry has been developing lightweight components in order to comply with stricter fuel consumption regulations. In fact, car mass reduction plays an important role in reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Composite materials are very promising solutions because of their potential to reduce mass by replacing traditional steel components, while ensuring safety requirements and structure reliability. However, they might present some issues in terms of sustainability and cost. This paper presents a methodology developed to carry out safety tests on a virtual automotive seat and then assess the structural practicability of using a more sustainable material, the Basalt Reinforced-Fibre Polymer (BFRP), as a replacement of the original material, the Glass Reinforced-Fibre Polymer (GFRP). The starting point of this study was the mechanical characterisation of both traditional and green composites. Then, the composite material formulation MAT-58 was optimised to correlate the simulated and experimental results. Finally, static and energy absorption simulation tests were performed according to the ECE R17 regulation. The seat model was compliant with the safety requirements in all cases studied, and both composites presented a similar structural performance.