Conventional composite materials based on glass, carbon, or aramid fibers embedded in petroleum based matrix materials are widely used in numerous industrial applications, such as in aerospace, maritime, automotive, construction and other areas. The market is huge and growing.
However, the long term demand for sustainability represents a substantial threat for this type of composites, but offers, in contrast, a great opportunity for composite materials based on wood fiber or wood fiber components embedded in wood based matrix materials. Such composites are here referred to as biocomposites.
The demand for large volumes of wood fiber components will emerge when new biocomposite materials become widely used as an “engineering material” for different industrial applications. This often takes many years to reach and the success is determined by many factors, such as price, properties and functionality.
In this Theme various processes for fabrication of different types of biocomposites (using components and materials developed in other Themes) will be investigated and the results will be evaluated with respect to properties, performance and functionality. In this context fiber orientation is of fundamental interest as fiber orientation determines the mechanical properties of the composite. For industrial applications, it is important to obtain consistency and predictability in mechanical properties.
Specific projects include suspension based processing of fiber networks/webs and polymer impregnation of such webs; compression molded cellulose biocomposites; and MFC composites and nanopaper.
Another area of great interest is functional biocomposites with “built-in” functionalities such as magnetic and electric conductivity, UV-resistance etc. Such functionalities represent an added value and potentially many new market opportunities exist for such materials.
Nanostructured composites or hybrid materials have large potential as functional materials. The focus here is on more controlled nanostructures, where hybrid materials are particularly interesting. For instance, nanostructural control usually requires surface modification of nanoparticles or specific preparation routes with a great degree of control.
Biocomposites
Conventional composite materials based on glass, carbon, or aramid fibers embedded in petroleum based matrix materials are widely used in numerous industrial applications, such as in aerospace, maritime, automotive, construction and other areas. The market is huge and growing.
However, the long term demand for sustainability represents a substantial threat for this type of composites, but offers, in contrast, a great opportunity for composite materials based on wood fiber or wood fiber components embedded in wood based matrix materials. Such composites are here referred to as biocomposites.
The demand for large volumes of wood fiber components will emerge when new biocomposite materials become widely used as an “engineering material” for different industrial applications. This often takes many years to reach and the success is determined by many factors, such as price, properties and functionality.
In this Theme various processes for fabrication of different types of biocomposites (using components and materials developed in other Themes) will be investigated and the results will be evaluated with respect to properties, performance and functionality. In this context fiber orientation is of fundamental interest as fiber orientation determines the mechanical properties of the composite. For industrial applications, it is important to obtain consistency and predictability in mechanical properties.
Specific projects include suspension based processing of fiber networks/webs and polymer impregnation of such webs; compression molded cellulose biocomposites; and MFC composites and nanopaper.
Another area of great interest is functional biocomposites with “built-in” functionalities such as magnetic and electric conductivity, UV-resistance etc. Such functionalities represent an added value and potentially many new market opportunities exist for such materials.
Nanostructured composites or hybrid materials have large potential as functional materials. The focus here is on more controlled nanostructures, where hybrid materials are particularly interesting. For instance, nanostructural control usually requires surface modification of nanoparticles or specific preparation routes with a great degree of control.