Proton chooses Neotec

has won a contract to supply

with advanced Neotec steel, a hot-dip tin-zinc alloy coated steel. This will be used in the manufacture of fuel tanks for one of the carmaker's latest additions to its popular GEN-2 range, the 1.6 GSX.

Launched to the automotive market in 2003, Corus' Neotec lead-free metallic-coated steel has been designed specifically to help vehicle manufacturers develop emission-free fuel tanks that meet future environmental legislation but also recycling targets for vehicles at the end of their life.

According to Corus, one of the major drivers behind the carmaker's decision to use Neotec has been the European End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) directive, which requires vehicle manufactures to remove heavy metals such as lead and mercury from vehicle components. The directive also dictates ELV material recovery or re-use rates of over 85 per cent of the whole vehicle from 2006 and over 95 per cent from 2015. Neotec, which Corus says is 100 per cent recyclable, will help vehicle manufacturers meet these recycling requirements.