Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) is participating in a European research project, called BIOntier, which is developing more sustainable materials than conventional ones, known as biocomposites, for industrial sectors such as the automotive, aeronautics, energy storage and water treatment industries.
“The materials we develop are not only more environmentally friendly, but also provide advanced technological solutions for the industries that use them,” explains Álvaro Vaz-Romero, head of the project at UC3M, a researcher in the Lightweight Structures Dynamics Group, which belongs to the University's Department of Continuum Mechanics and Structural Analysis. Their characteristics, lightness, recyclability, durability when receiving impacts or resisting high temperatures offer thermal, mechanical and chemical properties that position them as a sustainable alternative to conventional materials, according to the researchers.
Biocomposites developed by BIOntier cover applications as diverse as vehicle components, battery casings and dashboard panels, aeronautical structures and industrial equipment adapted to the thermal and mechanical demands of the industry. They are also used as structural impact absorbers designed to improve collision safety, low-pressure hydrogen storage tanks and high-pressure tanks designed to increase the durability of purification systems.
Towards a greener and more competitive industry
UC3M is participating in the project as leader of a work package focused on the experimental characterisation of these materials. This includes the design of tests to analyse the performance of the biocomposites under different loading conditions and working environments, as well as numerical simulation based on the data obtained in the tests. ‘Our laboratory performs part of these tests, combining experimental analysis and computational simulations to provide a complete picture of the behaviour of these materials,’ Alvaro explains.
All these experiments aim to improve both the synthesis and stability of biocomposites, while reducing their ecological footprint. ‘This is in line with the objectives of the circular bioeconomy, promoting sustainable materials that can compete in the global market, facilitating their integration into existing industrial products,’ concludes Álvaro.
The BIOntier project (Breaking Frontiers in sustainable and circular biocomposites with high performance for multi-sector applications), coordinated by the FORTH research centre in Greece and with funding of more than EUR 7 million (GA 101155925), brings together 25 partners including universities, research centres, SMEs and large companies from 12 countries.