By Lucas van den Akker
The ambition of Avans and its partners within BiDebA is clear: to contribute to a circular economy by developing innovative, bio-based adhesive solutions. Thanks to the support of the Interreg North-West Europe program and cooperation with partners such as ACRATS Training Services BV, Delft University of Technology, GMI Aero and Flanders Make, we are taking steps towards a future where materials are endlessly reusable.
For Avans, the past period was all about cooperation, knowledge sharing and innovation in particular during the workshop on biobased adhesives within the BiDebA project. As project leader, I look back with pride on an inspiring day where companies, researchers and teachers came together to explore the potential of biobased and debondable adhesives.
Great need for biobased adhesives
The workshop brought together a wide range of perspectives. Alessandro Aleo of TU Delft took us into the world of archaeological adhesives and the additives already used in ancient times. Elena Gambera of Flanders Make, Gerben Krielaart and myself shared insights on the latest developments in biobased adhesives and debonding techniques. In addition, Koen van Beurden and Dennis Molendijk - van den Hengst gave a tour of the Bio-based Lab of Avans Hogeschool in Breda, where participants also got to work testing biobased adhesives on carbon fiber reinforced composites themselves. A number of participants had brought their own materials to test joining with biobased adhesives. With a plasma system from the company Plasmatreat, the material could be given a surface treatment with the aim of improving adhesion. To make an initial estimate of the strength of the adhesive bond, the samples were tested in a tensile testing machine after the workshop.
Preview: final meeting and follow-up
On Thursday, June 5, we will bring the BiDebA project to a festive and substantive close with a special final meeting at the ACRATS Training Services location at Aviolanda in Hoogerheide. During this meeting we will present the main results of the project, share experiences and look ahead to possible next steps. A special highlight of the day will be a live demonstration in a defense hangar, where we as a research consortium will perform a temporary repair on a real composite aircraft part - of course using bio-based, debondable adhesives. We look forward to sharing this moment with a wide audience of interested parties from the field, education and research community.
Want to know more?
Curious about the results of the project or interested in a possible collaboration in a follow-up project? Then visit our project page: https://www.veiligheidenveerkracht.nl/projecten/bideba/