Does your company work with composites?
We want to learn what you know about the circular repair of composites and the use of bio-based adhesives. Take 2 minutes to let us know via the survey!
Composite materials are known for their light weight and high strength. They contribute to European environmental goals by helping to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions. On the other hand, composites generate a lot of waste, of which only about 15% is currently recyclable in the EU. There is a need to extend the life of composites through innovative repair and reuse strategies.
Traditional repair methods for composites are usually based on conventional adhesives, most of which are derived from non-renewable fossil fuels. Once applied, these adhesives make it difficult to remove, repair, reuse and recycle the materials. This not only conserves raw materials, but also hinders the industry's sustainability efforts.
Sustainable use of composites ...
To address this challenge, Flanders Make is currently leading the BiDebA project, which aims to develop high-performance bio-based detachable adhesives that meet industrial needs while protecting the environment.
We will be looking for adhesives based on renewable raw materials that are designed to be easily removable. In this way, we aim to improve the lifecycle of composite products by making it easy to separate and recycle components. This approach not only makes it easier to reuse and recycle composites, but also significantly reduces waste and dependence on non-renewable raw materials.
... tailored to industry
In this project, we are working with industrial partners from the transport sector: a sector that is one of the largest consumers of composite materials. This allows us to directly test the applicability of our research results. GMI AERO is an innovative player in the composite repair market. They have a wide range of repair equipment and products that they supply to the world's leading aircraft manufacturers and airlines. ACRATS stands for Advanced Composite Repair And Training Services. They offer top-notch services to aviation professionals.
With BiDebA, we will integrate our new adhesives into existing debonding and repair test setups to validate their effectiveness in realistic real-world scenarios. These collaborations ensure that our innovations are based on real industry needs and can be seamlessly integrated into existing production processes.
About Flanders Make
About Flanders Make
Flanders Make is a strategic research centre whose mission is to support SMEs and large manufacturing companies through industry-driven, pre-competitive and excellent research.
Flanders Make builds bridges between research and industry and is therefore well placed to establish cooperation between academia, industry and research institutes for BiDebA. This collaboration aims to accelerate the innovation process and market acceptance.
Coming soon
We are keen to share our research results with industry as soon as possible, to demonstrate the applications and benefits of these innovative adhesives. All sectors are welcome to attend our two workshops, where we will explain the new bio-based composition of the new adhesives and demonstrate the removability of the adhesives.
During our closing event we will demonstrate the repair of a non-structural composite structure using our bio-based adhesives.