Avancés et récentes applications des

composites à fibres naturelles

Johanne Denault, PhD

Conseil national de recherches du Canada

Colloque CDCQ-RICQ

20 octobre 2015

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Natural Fiber Composite

Opportunities

• Renewable source of raw material

• Can lead to cost reduction

• Reduced tool wear

• Safe manufacturing processes

• No airborne glass particles, relief from occupational hazards.

• Reduced dermal and respiratory irritation. No emission of toxic fumes when subjected to heat and incineration

• Most thermoplastic composites are recyclable.

• Possibility of recycling the cuttings and manufacturing wastages.

• Compostable when compostable resins are used

• Excellent acoustic and damping properties

• Excellent specific strength and high modulus.

• Reduced part weight; 20-50% for automotive parts

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• Volkswagen: back of seats,door panels, trunk panels

• Audi: back of seats, side panels, trunk covering, speakers holders

• BMW: door panels, headliners, trunk floor panel

• Daimler Chrysler: door panels, business tables, padding-pillars reinforcing, dashboard parts

• Opel: headliners, door panels, dashboard parts

• Peugeot: back of seats, trunk coverings

• Renault: rear shelf

• Mercedes Benz trucks: front sections for the trucks.

• Canadian automaker Motive (Calgary, Alberta); bio-composite materials derived from hemp and flax fiber have been used to create the headliner, door panels and trim, floor tub and center tunnel, instrument panel and center console panel.

Automotive applications

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Automotive applications

Automotive applications

Sport Success Stories

Tennis Racket Décathlon

Artengo

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Applications

Helmet

weight reduction

VTT 2008, Ski 2010

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Applications

Marine

Avantage de réduction de poids

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Applications

• CAMIRA spin off of NOTTINGHAM UNIVERSITY successfully made the first

3.5 meter long wind turbine blade reinforced with only FLAX FIBERS using a

600 GSM FLAX BIAXIAL +/- 45°

• It passed the IEC61400 norm making it a real success. The blade can stand a

hurricane !

Innobat developed a biobased composite

material with flax fiber reinforcements

produced by pultrusion and registered under

the trademark PulGreen®. This innovative

composite material, developed for the

manufacturing of windows profiles,

combines good insulation of PVC and

mechanical strength of Aluminum while

having a reduced environmental impact.

This composite material and the technology

to produce profiles have been patented by

Innobat.

http://innobat.fr/en/

Applications

Valorization of Canadian Biomass in High Value

Products

Straw, Wood Seed

Lignin Oil Cellulose Starch

Biocomposites

Polymer Products: Moulded parts

Foam, Films, Fibres

Biomonomers, Biopolymers

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Biocomposite Challenges

for high performance applications

• Fibre consistency and quality

• Low impact strength (due to defects at fibre surface)

• Problem of storing raw material for extended time

Possibility of degradation, biological attack of fungi and

mildew

• Issues of bonding with polymers and resins

which affect mechanical performance

and humidity resistance

• Processing temperature

• Low flammability resistance

Biocomposites for high performance applications

(NRC 2005-….

• High performance fibres for mats and

technical fabrics

• coll Texel, Regitex and Texonic

• Enzyme Retting Process

• Improve fiber consistency and

temperature resistance

• Fiber surface treatment and

formulation to improve fire resistance

• Fire stopped after removing the flame

from ignition and char is formed

• Improved fire resistance – meet

requirements of aerospace and

ground transportation applications

• Compatibilization strategy

• Strong interface, i.e., mechanical

interlock and chemical interaction,

between fibers and matrix

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Recent NRC projects

Confidential

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NRC-CDCQ Multiclient Project Thermoset Polyester

Biocomposites

To build a Canadian Value Chain

Industrial partners

Collaborators

Material suppliers

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NRC-CDCQ Multiclient Project Thermoset Polyester

Biocomposites May 2013- May 2016

Project Goal:

The main objective of this project is to develop all of the basic knowledge and

technologies needed to design and manufacture composite parts made of

unsaturated polyester (UPE) resin reinforced with cellulosic fibers.

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Canadian Flax Fibers

Scope

• Natural fiber composites with optimum properties

• Interface, flammability and humidity resistance

• Polyester resin

• Flax fiber mats & technical fabrics

• Efficient molding process

• Closed mold process

• Repair

• Performance

• Mechanical

• Flammability, moisture

• Durability

• Cost Positioning and Prototypes

Thank you

Johanne Denault

Senior Research Officer

Tel: 450-641-5149

johanne.denault@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca

www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca