GAIKER contributes to the development of bio-based epoxy composites
The aeronautical and automotive sector will have a new generation of recyclable, multifunctional, safe and sustainable plastics by design (Safe and Sustainable by Design – SSbD).
The GAIKER Technology Centre, a member of the Basque Research and Technology Alliance, BRTA, is participating, together with 16 partners from eight European countries, in the Repoxyble project funded by the European Union as part of the Horizon Europe programme.
The aim of this research is to develop bio-based epoxy composites that are cost and energy efficient, recyclable and sustainable while maintaining their high performance and functional properties during the use phase. To achieve this, innovative multidisciplinary development will be pursued at each stage of the life cycle, from raw materials, manufacturing and use phase to end-of-life.
This new generation of composite materials to be developed will play a key role in the manufacture of fuel-efficient and high-performance vehicles, but to achieve this, current recycling difficulties must be overcome and safety, legal and environmental aspects must be taken into account from the earliest design stages.
In order to validate the technology used in this research, different sustainable and bio-based structures will be developed for various case studies. For the aerospace sector, an application will be created that can guarantee resistance to damage and high temperatures reached in certain flight conditions and for the automotive sector a structural application will be developed, with the same material as in the aerospace sector, but with a focus on minimising time and energy in the process and another that focuses on the rapid curing of bio-based fibres. In addition, a graphene-based sensor will be developed for use as a high-sensitivity, fast-response electronic sensor that can be used in both sectors.
GAIKER’s work
As an expert in the development and validation of toxicological studies and in the assessment of the sustainability of processes and technologies, GAIKER will be responsible in this project for assessing the toxicity and sustainability for both human beings and the environment of the raw materials, end products and recycled products developed, establishing the safety and sustainability requirements and comparing the results obtained with those of reference materials used to date to guide the development of the materials and ensure that they are safer and more sustainable. In addition, it will contribute to the occupational risk analysis of the designed processes.
On the other hand, as leader of the task of assessing the sustainability of the proposed solution in the case studies at industrial level, GAIKER will assess the main environmental implications of the proposed materials and processes. It will also assess the overall circularity of the solution by calculating the Materials Circularity Indicator (MCI).
More information on the project: https://www.repoxyble.eu/
