FIBIAS++
Materials & Processes
FIBIAS++ project: more sustainable, more optimized structural impregnated fiber
The FIBIAS++ project aims to develop thermoplastic composites made from recycled materials for integration in the automotive industry, a sector where reduction of vehicle emissions and mass has become crucial.
The objective is to develop composites with a low CO2 footprint incorporating recycled materials, without compromising high performance for semi-structural and even structural automotive applications. The project teams are thus working on composites such as organosheets (stacking of multiple layers of glass or carbon fabrics pre-impregnated or semi-impregnated with thermoplastic and consolidated in the form of plates), GMT (Glass Mat reinforced Thermoplastics), and even sandwich structures. The major challenge is integrating recycled materials such as PET.
The environmental benefits are considerable: these thermoplastic composites permit a 50% reduction of CO2emissions compared to traditional materials such as steel or thermoset composites. In addition, such innovation provides a material with high recycled content and similar mechanical properties to equivalent materials of non-recycled quality. This permits the development of parts with a mass gain of 30 to 35%, compared to metallic structures, which is essential to lighten electric vehicles and optimize their battery life and also reduce CO2 footprint and integrate recycled content.
One of the innovative points of FIBIAS++ is post-consumption and post-industrial waste recycling. IMT Nord Europe’s CERI MP, Center for Education, Research and Innovation in Materials and Processes), a key partner on the project, focused on manufacturing PET (polyethylene terephthalate) films made from recycled materials, such as ground plastic bottles. These recycled materials are then integrated into thermoplastic composite products or semi-finished products. IMT Nord Europe is also tasked with evaluating the effects of the grinding process on material performance, the objective being to maintain optimal mechanical properties for the duration of the recycling cycle.
Further information: https://www.irt-jules-verne.fr/actualites/fibias
Funder: France 2030
Duration: 2021 – 2024
Partners: IRT Jules Verne (pilote), FORVIA, STELLANTIS, CMO (Choletaise Moules Outillages), IMT Nord Europe
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