Light Weight Green Composites for a Sustainable Future in Maritime Applications

Abstract

The research falls within the European Environment Agency’s policy to “stimulate resource-efficient, low-carbon economic development” to achieve the 2050 vision of “living well within the limits of the planet”, to support renewable energy initiatives, assist awareness and drive towards sustainable approaches, technologies and increased awareness in reducing CO2 production during the bio-composite creation and fabricating. The bio-composite is to contain the maximum percentage of renewable bio-mass material to secure a sustainable future by moving away from the linear economy approach, i.e. take-make-consume-dispose, which relies on large quantities of easily accessible resources and energy, to adopt a circular economy to increase the renewable and recyclable resources towards materials having a reduced CO2 emissions and energy consumption during production, have a positive environmental impact due to the characteristics during use and at the end of life the natural fibre can be recycled, biodegraded or incinerated for energy recover having a reduced carbon footprint. The bio-economy sector has a strong innovation potential and encourages cross-sectoral collaboration from the diverse sectors to produce new innovative value chains eventually leading to common investments. The sustainable chain of this biomass stack is the efficient processing, acceptance and application of the bio-based product in end markets. The bio-based industries are a significant and fast-growing subsector of the bio-economy and as expected with a new programme initiative, take up rates have been high.

The research focuses on developing innovative bio-based composites utilising natural fibres derived from renewable & sustainable fibres encapsulated in a bio-based material product. Depending on the application composites may also include hybrid additions of other fibres and natural core material, such as cork. using various fabrication methods of traditional, vacuum bagging, resin infusion, film stacking and hot pressing. The resulting designed fit-for-purpose hybrid bio-composites, considering the layups, orientations, architecture, multiple-material design, bio-based resin & fibre combination, and uses the best attributes of its components to produce a lightweight and high strength corrosion resistance, acoustic damping and cyclic loading material structure for use in maritime, automotive, product, packaging, leisure and sports equipment, food and construction industries.

Advances in understanding & implementation have been remarkable. however, traditional composites remain very difficult to break down & recycle through cost-effective processes & pose a major health hazard due to the ingredients. The time is now, to seriously consider constituents from renewable, high % carbon content & sustainable sources, following green chemistry processes & be easily recycled or biodegrade. The research proposed here is to continue UM's excellence within this field of research.

Abstract:

Natural fibre carbon footprint: Studies on fibres such as flax, hemp, jute and kenaf have shown that these natural fibres have a carbon footprint of 0.5~0.7 tonne CO2/ tonne natural fibre compared to rival traditional glass/carbon fibre 1.7~2.2 tonne CO2/tonne of glass fibre, a 20-50% carbon footprint reduction. Emissions during cultivation, harvesting and extraction depend on the process efficiency and complexity; the most favourable and cheapest fibre extraction method, decortication, is suitable for agave. The plant effortlessly grows without any fertiliser; however organic fertilisers (even the waste pulp removed from the plant itself during decortication) enhance cultivation and substituting the mineral to natural fertilisers further reduces the carbon footprint by 650kg of CO2/tonne fibre. Natural fibres are grown mainly in Brazil, China, India, Bangladesh, Tanzania, and Kenya and delivery to the European factory gate for production and processing involves about 750kg of CO2/tonne. Establishing a European base will reduce the transport carbon cost and also provides another source of fibre if disease strikes the plant in the other geographic locations. Natural fibre bio-composite end of life reduction results in recovered energy and possible carbon credits. The agave-sisal fibre life cycle carbon footprint assessment has not been performed; a life cycle assessment should show that the natural sustainable resource agave fibre is a contender for European market exploitation.