Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPTResearch project "Repro4Bio"
Bio-based lightweight materials for sustainable products
The "European Green Deal" consists of a series of political initiatives that the European Commission has launched to transform Europe into the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. The sustainable and resource-efficient design of our industrial production plays a central role in this. Materials made from renewable raw materials and efficient material cycles are two key elements on the path to climate-neutral production. In the "Repro4Bio" research project, Fraunhofer IPT is working with its partners from industry to develop production technologies for sustainable end consumer products made from natural lightweight materials.
Sports components made from biopolymers
So far, biodegradable plastics made from renewable raw materials have only been used to a limited extent in the packaging industry. For consumer goods made of fiber composite materials, there are currently no mature production processes with biopolymers. Using the example of ski and outdoor poles as well as bicycle components, scientists are continuing to develop the established impregnation and processing methods for lightweight materials made from natural raw materials in order to make them usable for mass production.
Matrix material made from natural fibers and bio-resin
In the "Repro4Bio" project, Fraunhofer IPT is developing production technologies for the manufacture and processing of pre-impregnated fibers, so-called towpregs, which are processed into components in a downstream winding or depositing process. When such thermoset towpregs are conventionally processed, glass or carbon fibers impregnated with epoxy resin are processed and cured in an autoclave or oven. Fraunhofer IPT is now developing a process in which natural fiber material is impregnated with a photoreactive bio-resin and the matrix is cross-linked in-situ by UV light-based LEDs in the downstream winding process. Fraunhofer IPT already successfully demonstrated that LED-assisted tube winding is feasible in an earlier research project. The institute now aims to transfer this process to the new lightweight design materials made from natural fibers and biopolymers and to qualify them for mass production.
Project consortium
- Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT (Coordinator)
- carbovation gmbh Delcotex
- Delius Techtex GmbH & Co. KG
- polyscale GmbH & Co. KG
Duration 3/2023 to 2/2026
Funding
The research project "Repro4Bio" is funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy (BMWE) as part of the Technology Transfer Program Lightweight Construction (TIP LB).
Funding reference: 03LB2070A