The domains of lightweight and ecological sustainability are central aspects of vehicle development processes. A lightweight material with a high ecological sustainability potential for use in vehicle bodies is wood, which for example has already been used in carriage structures. However, due to the high component requirements in the automotive context, the integration of this material in modern vehicle structures is significantly challenging.

One approach for the integration of wood-based components into mass produced vehicle structures is the use of an innovative wood-plastic-hybrid design method. This design method makes it possible to address the high component requirements with technology-specific solutions and thus realize lightweight potentials. During the manufacturing of the wood-plastic-hybrid technology, a hybrid bonding zone is created, in which the two main materials, wood and plastic, join through microform fitting as well as through intrinsic bonding. So far, only little research has been contucted on this bonding zone. Yet, it is the key area of this hybrid technology.

First systematic investigations by Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG were conducted in order to analyze this bonding zone of the wood-plastic-hybrid technology. The goal of these investigations was to understand the behavior of the two materials within the bonding zone and to derive measures from these findings. Due to the parameter-based specific formation of the bonding zone as a result of varying input parameters within the manufacturing and material preparation process, multi-stage experimental series were conducted to identify the effects on the hybrid bonding zone.

The exploration of the understanding of this hybrid bonding zone is intended to provide the foundation for leveraging the lightweight and ecological sustainability potential of the wood-plastic hybrid technology and to prospectively implement it into vehicle structures.