Indian automobile major Tata Motors is currently researching the utility of cornstarch as a raw material in manufacturing auto body parts. Cornstarch which is normally used as a cooking ingredient is being worked upon by the company’s research and development team to integrate it in the body parts of automobiles to develop vehicles better equipped to withstand strong impact in case of an accident.
The company has appointed a special team to conduct the research and development at its R&D facilities at Lucknow, Pune and Jamshedpur. The reason for using cornstarch as a raw material is due to its non-flammable and non-toxic nature and especially owing to its stretchable nature. These properties enable it with the ability to withstand high pressure and impact.
The material has already been introduced in small cars by the company for the purpose of proto-testing. After appropriate testing procedures, the material is being planned to be manufactured on a mass scale by Tata Motors in collaboration with Tata Chemicals.