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Faszination Textil

Flame retardant sustainable composites for transport and building applications

SusComTrab

The aim of this project is to develop sustainable fibre reinforced composite materials that can fulfill the requirements towards flame retardancy and smoke toxicity for the transport and construction sector.

This will be achieved by combining sustainable fibre reinforcements such as basalt fabrics, natural fibre based fabrics, nonwovens based on basalt fibres and recycled carbon fibres with benzoxazine resins and bio-based epoxy resins containing flame retardant additives. Bio-epoxies are partially made of renewable materials while benzoxazines release less heat and no volatiles during curing making it safer, user- and eco-friendly. As fibre reinforcement basalt fabrics, natural fibre based fabrics like flax, or recycled carbon fibres can help to reduce the carbon footprint of composite applications.

About SusComTrab


The aim of this project is to develop sustainable fibre reinforced composite materials that can fulfill the requirements towards flame retardancy and smoke toxicity for the transport and construction sector.

This will be achieved by combining sustainable fibre reinforcements such as basalt fabrics, natural fibre based fabrics, nonwovens based on basalt fibres and recycled carbon fibres with benzoxazine resins and bio-based epoxy resins containing flame retardant additives. Bio-epoxies are partially made of renewable materials while benzoxazines release less heat and no volatiles during curing making it safer, user- and eco-friendly. As fibre reinforcement basalt fabrics, natural fibre based fabrics like flax, or recycled carbon fibres can help to reduce the carbon footprint of composite applications.

Composite materials offer outstanding properties, such as lightweight, high specific strength and corrosion resistance, which makes them excellent for applications in the aerospace, automotive, wind energy, sporting, transport and construction sector. In addition, the demand for sustainable composites is increasing more and more, mainly driven by current global environmental challenges.

On top of this, most applications in transport and construction sector require flame retardant properties. For example, current EU regulations applicable to these sectors stipulate that materials should be difficult to ignite, produce limited to no smoke and burning droplets. Unfortunately, most available Fibre-Reinforced-Plastics do not meet these criteria, particularly the matrix of the composites.

The main innovation target is to develop sustainable fibre reinforced composites materials meeting the requirements towards flame retardancy for the transport and construction sector. This means that the materials should be difficult to ignite (B1), have no burning droplets (d0) and have low smoke densities (s1-2) and toxicities according to EN13501-1 and EN45545.

This will be achieved by combining sustainable fiber reinforcements (e.g. basalt or natural fibre based fabrics and nonwovens made of recycled carbon or basalt fibres) combined with benzoxazines and bio-based epoxy resins containing FR additives. Further innovations are:

  • Resin formulations: adding viscosity modifiers, wetting agents & adding FR additives to allow a good impregnation and FR properties
  • Fibre treatments for a good (i.e. compatible) matrix/fiber interaction
  • Suitable composite manufacturing methods
  • Production of basalt nonwovens as textile reinforcements

The research activities will take place with regards to resin formulations, fibre treatments, and processing technologies:

  1. To improve the impregnation behaviour additives such as wetting agents with act also as fire retardants will be added
  2. With fibre treatments the matrix/fibre interaction will be improved
  3. The development of basalt nonwovens with sufficient mechanical stability will support processibility and mechanical properties
  4. As a final validation step a suitable composite manufacturing process will be developed, hand in hand with the material modification efforts
Nonwoven production line at STFI
Nonwoven production line at STFI

The SusComTrab projects targets the composite manufacturing sector as well as chemical suppliers and the textile industry. Textile manufactures can provide the textiles needed for the reinforcement while textile finishers can treat the textiles to make them compatible with the plastic matrix. Also OEMs which are active in the transport or building sector will benefit from the results obtained within this project.

The R&D results will be made available to the companies, which can further tune them to their needs, assisted by all project partners. SusComTrab results are expected to allow the companies to get knowledge in the field of textile processing, developments in terms of new resin and adhesion promoting formulations, composite processing and testing. The companies will be able to enter new markets (composite manufacturing, construction sector and transport sector), resulting in an increased turnover, number of employees and profit.

2018

Newsletter ETP Fibres Textile Clothing - European Technology Platform, (10/2018), “CORNET project SusComTrab started”, in Members-Newsletter

Newsletter Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut e.V. (2/2018), „Neues Cornetprojekt: SusComTrab”, in STFI News (STFI-Newsletter)

FLYER Große, A.; Heilos, K.; Semar, J.; Goethals, F.: Flame retardant sustainable Composites for Transport and Building Applications, Project flyer, 2 Seiten. Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut e.V., Chemnitz, 2018

 

2019

Poster Semar, J.; May, D.; Heilos, K.; Große, A.; Goethals, F. ; Mitschang, P.: Flame retardant sustainable Composites for Transport and Building Sector, Posterausstellung „Symposium – Brandsicherheit und Gefährdungspotential im Kontext neuartiger innovativer Bauweisen und Produkte“, 09.05.2019, Wildau – Innomat GmbH

Article Semar, J.: Nachhaltige Verbundwerkstoffe mit Brandschutzeigenschaften, CVC Südwest Magazin, Ausgabe 1-2019, S.15-17 , Commercial Vehicle Cluster Nutzfahrzeug GmbH, Kaiserslautern

Article Heilos, K.; Große, A., Semar, J.; Goethals, F.: SusComTrab – Flammhemmende nachhaltige Verbundwerkstoffe für den Transport- und Bausektor, AVR-Allgemeiner Vliesstoffreport, Heft 04/2019, S.52-54

Poster Heilos, K.; Große, A., Semar, J.; Goethals, F.: SusComTrab – Flammhemmende nachhaltige Verbundwerkstoffe für den Transport- und Bausektor, Posterausstellung, 5th international Composite Conference (ICC),10-12.09.2019, Stuttgart

Short Presentation Heilos, K. ; Hofmann, M.: „Neueste Entwicklungen im Bereich rezyklierter Carbonfasern“ 4. Sächsischer Innovationstag „Zukunft nachhaltig gestalten“, 08.10.2019, Leipzig

 

2020

Article Heilos, K.; Große, A., Semar, J.; Goethals, F.: „Flammhemmende, nachhaltige Verbundwerkstoffe“, AVK Composites Report 02/2020, Schwerpunkt „Transport“, https://www.unserebroschuere.de/AVK_Composite2_2020/WebView/ S. 8/9 , 10/11

SusComTrab

Title: Flame retardant sustainable composites for transport and building applications

Call Identifier: 24. CORNET Call

Project Start Date: 01.09.2018

Duration: 24 Months


Partners

Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut (STFI) Coordinator
Annaberger Straße 240
09125Chemnitz | Germany
Dr. rer. nat. Anna Große
Katharina Heilos, M. Eng.
Phone:+49 371 5274-0
Email: Anna.Grosse@stfi.de
Homepage: www.stfi.de

Institut für Verbundwerkstoffe GmbH
Erwin-Schrödinger-Straße, Gebäude 58
67663 Kaiserslautern (DE)
Jan Eric Semar, M.Sc.
Phone:+49 631 31607-35
Email: JanEric.Semar@ivw.uni-kl.de
Homepage: www.ivw.uni-kl.de

Centexbel
Technologiepark 7
9052 Gent-Zwijnaarde (BE)
Frederik Goethals, PhD
Phone:+32 9 243 46 91
Email: Frederik.Goethals@centexbel.be
Homepage: www.centexbel.be


Associations

 

 

Funding Agencies


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