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OBJECTIVES AND EXPECTED IMPACTS

The development of innovative bio-based composite constituents

The SSUCHY project is positioned on the development of composite constituents, based on a renewable resource (i.e. biopolymers and plant fibre reinforcements) for the development of multifunctional recyclable and/or biodegradable bio-based composites with advanced functionalities for application in different sectors : transportation (ground transportation and aerospace) and high value market niches such as the acoustic and electronics sectors. It is dedicated to the development of specific concepts, technologies and materials to achieve a complete value chain and prove the principle at the scale of product demonstrators.

The SSUCHY project has five core objectives :

> Multifunctional bio-based composites

> Hemp-based competitive reinforcement

> Hybrid fibre reinforced composites

> Bio-based functionalized and optimized polymers for PFCs

> Tailored lignin derived monomers for high-grade polymer

Increase the sustainability and the competitiveness of European industry

The expected impact is twofold:

To set the basis and validate new bio-based constituents for composites ;

To propose new composite structures and products based on these bio-based constituents and demonstrate their advanced functionalities at the scale of demonstrators.

CONCEPT

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DEMONSTRATION OF BIO-BASED COMPOSITES ADVANCED FUNCTIONALITIES AT THE SCALE OF DEMONSTRATORS

DEMO

Automotive application

Floor and trim panel structures for car

 

Automotive application

Monocoque structure for electric scooter

Aeronautic application
Cockpit panel for electric aircraft

 

Audio application

High performance Green Loudspeaker system

NEW COMPOSITES STRUCTURES AND PRODUCTS WITH BIO-BASED CONSTITUENTS

BIO-BASED COMPOSITES AND SANDWICH MATERIALS

COMPOSITES

Hemp woven reinforcement + Polymer materials

 

SANDWICH

Bio-based core and composite materials


SET THE BASIS AND VALIDATION OF NEW BIO-BASED CONSTITUENTS FOR COMPOSITES

TRANSFORMATION

 

BIO-BASED POLYMERS

POLYMER MATERIALS

 

Thermoplastic : aliphatic polyester

Thermoset : epoxy

 

PLANT FIBERS

PRIMARY PROCESSING

 

Scutched / hackled fibers
> Sliver
> Rovings
> Wrapped rovings

ensait Roubaix     LCN     inp-enit

BIOMASS SUPPLY

BIO-BASED POLYMERS

FEEDSTOCK


Wooden materials : saw dust & birch bark

Stockholm University

PLANT FIBERS

FEEDSTOCK

 

Hemp fields > Stems

Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore

Workplan

Schematic representation of the project structure and the list of work packages

WORK PACKAGES

Work package 1: Project management and coordination
Leader: UNIVERSITY OF FRANCHE-COMTÉ (France)

WP1 is devoted to the project management and coordination activities. It gives a framework for the project management and strategic decision making.

The main objectives are to:
- support partners in the financial and technical reporting and in monitoring their activities
- implement risk management and quality check
- supervise reports and result assessment.

Contact: Florian Boucherie, email: florian.boucherie@univ-fcomte.fr
Work package 2: From biomass to building blocks
Leader: STOCKHOLM UNIVERSITY (Sweden)

This WP has the following main objectives:
- evaluate the lignocellulosic feed-stocks which are the most suitable for generating the desired lignin derived monomers
- combine lignocellulosic fractionation and catalysis to obtain monomers with different chemical handles suitable for further functionalization
- functionalization of lignin derived monomers with tailored monomers to produce polymers
- develop a feasible process for the generation of tailored building blocks from lignocellulosic feedstock that is scalable

Contact: Joseph Samec, email: joseph.samec@su.se
Work package 3: From building blocks to polymers
Leader: CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE (France)

The main objective of WP3 is the transformation by chemical processes of bio-based building blocks into functional polymerizable synthons suitable for biocomposite applications. Two routes leading to thermoplastics (aliphatic polyesters) and thermosets (epoxy) polymers are expected. An enhancement of flame retardant properties of target materials will be in particular focused on.

Contacts: Laurent Plasseraud, email: laurent.plasseraud@u-bourgogne.fr
Christophe Thomas, email: christophe.thomas@chimie-paristech.fr
Work package 4: From plant stems to aligned fibres
Leader: ÉCOLE NATIONALE D'INGÉNIEURS DE TARBES (France)

The objective of this work package is to obtain from specially selected hemp varieties a range of yarns with different levels of properties (mechanical, deformability, and surface) and price suited to multiple end uses of composite materials. Different types of yarns will be elaborated, tested and optimised to reach the objective of designing a whole new range of products at both laboratory scale in a first extent and at an industrial state in a second extent. The main challenge of this work package will consist in obtaining yarns within which the mechanical potential of hemp fibres is maximum. To reach this goal, specially selected hemp species associated to newly developed agricultural practices, harvesting, fibre extraction and yarn manufacturing will be considered.

Contact: Pierre Ouagne, email: pierre.ouagne@enit.fr
Work package 5: From aligned fibres to preforms
Leader: ÉCOLE NATIONALE SUPÉRIEURE ARTS INDUSTRIES TEXTILES (France)

WP5 is devoted to the development of preforms from the aligned fibres produced with WP4. The main objectives are:
- establishment of requirements for textile preforms associated to each demonstrators/prototypes;
- identification of the best textile technology to set up the preforms;
- manufacturing textile preforms (2D, 3D);
- mechanical characterization of textile preforms at multiscale level (yarns, fabrics);
-optimization of textile preforms demonstrators.

Contact: Damien Soulat, email: damien.soulat@ensait.fr
Work package 6: Composite manufacturing and basic evaluation
Leader: UNIVERSITY OF DERBY (UK)

WP6 has its focus on the basic evaluation of composite materials manufactured from bio-based constituents. WP6 includes two material manufacturing routes. The first one is the design and manufacturing of composite materials from off-the-shelves constituents. The second one is the manufacturing of composite materials from the constituents (polymers and plant based reinforcements) developed in the WPs 3, 4 and 5. The characterization of both types of composite materials will help to optimize the design and the processing technologies in WPs 3, 4 and 5. Results collected within this WP6 will also allow to select the most effective composite solutions to implement advanced functionalities in WP 7 and WP8 and to select the materials for the demonstrators (WP 9).

Contact: Angelo Maligno, email: a.maligno@derby.ac.uk
Work package 7: Durability enhancement
Leader: KU LEUVEN (Belgium)

WP7 is dedicated to the characterization and improvement of the durability of plant fibre composites.

The main objectives of WP7 are:
- provide proof of concept that durability of natural fibre composites is enhanced when manufactured at equilibrium moisture content (EMC) of their targeted application
- fibre treatments to lower the EMC of hemp fibres
- adaptation of polymer matrices and composite processing to allow processing with damp fibres
- Improvement of fibre-matrix interface to slow down water uptake and to allow processing with damp fibres
- Characterisation and modelling of the creep behavior of fully bio-based sandwich panels

Contact: Aart Willem van Vuure, email: aartwillem.vanvuure@kuleuven.be
Work package 8: Vibro-acoustic control of bio-based components
Leader: UNIVERSITY OF FRANCHE-COMTÉ (France)

WP8 aims at understanding the behaviour of bio-based composite materials in terms of vibration and acoustics in order to design and manufacture efficient structures with increased damping/absorption properties without deterioration of functional properties (static, creep, temperature, fire behaviour).

Contact: Morvan Ouisse, email: morvan.ouisse@univ-fcomte.fr
Work package 9: Technology demonstrators and prototypes
Leader : UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL (UK)

The objective of WP9 is to apply the materials and simulation procedures developed in WP6, WP7 and WP8 into design products and prototypes at TRL 4. The end-user applications that SSUCHY will develop at that specific technology readiness level are: (1) a panel demonstrator related to the interiors of a full electric twin engine aircraft, (2) a high-perfomance green loudspeaker system, (3) a bio-based sandwich panel structure for automotive, (4) a bio-based monocoque structure for electric scooter. WP9 will also provide cross-industry guidelines documents for the efficient use of the SSUCHY bio-sourced material across the businesses.

Contact: Fabrizio Scarpa, email: f.scarpa@bristol.ac.uk
Work package 10: Sustainability, End of Life, Recyclability
Leader: KU LEUVEN (Belgium)

The main objectives of WP10 are:
- to assess the environmental performance of the semi-finished products and the processes developed in this project tomake them, through a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach
- to address bottlenecks in the material processing w.r.t. environmental issues and improve them
- to assess the environmental burden and benefits with respect to end-of-life options for the developed materials
- to assess the environmental burden and benefits of the entire life cycle of the 4 key bio-based product demonstrators, including an assessment of their recyclability, with respect to the state-of-the-art products and to improve their composition and design w.r.t. the environmental impact
- to optimise the properties of mechanically recycled Hemp/TP composites

Contact: Karel van Acker, email: karel.vanacker@kuleuven.be
Work package 11: Dissemination and exploitation
Leader: IAR, THE FRENCH BIOECONOMY CLUSTER (France)

Objectives:
This work package aims to promote the action of the project SSUCHY and its results to stakeholders involved in targeted application markets and to the public.

This WP has the following main objectives:
- communicate about the project and its objectives and achievements;
- link the project with ongoing research initiatives and ensure dissemination to the scientific community;
- manage the foreground knowledge and its protection; set the actions for exploitation of results.

Contact: Stéphanie Clément, email: clement@iar-pole.com

 

GOVERNANCE

The project structure is designed to provide an appropriate level of professional management to mediate efficiently between the different interests and cultures of the partners. The consortium bodies are shown in the following Figure.

Relations between entities within the project

Coordinator

Vincent Placet


General Assembly


The General Assembly is the main decision-making body. It is composed of one representative per Consortium member.

Executive Board


The Executive Board is the supervisory body for the execution of the project. It is responsible for the scientific overview of the project and for monitoring progress. It provides excellence to the scientific management of the project.

List of representatives in the EB:

UFC

Vincent Placet
(project coordinator)


UFC

Florian Boucherie
(project manager)


KUL

Aart Willem van Vuure


UoB

Fabrizio Scarpa


ENIT

Pierre Ouagne


UB

Laurent Plasseraud


Technology Exploitation Committee

The Technology Exploitation Committee (TEC) is a body that helps the consortium to maximize the chance to exploit the project’s results. It facilitates linkages to industry partners and proposes technology exploitation and transfer policies.

UFC

Vincent Placet
(project coordinator)


UFC

Florian Boucherie
(project manager)


TRE

Alicia Lecomte


LCN

Pierluigi Fusco Girard


WB

Craig Milnes


EADCO

Rosario De Luca


NPSP

Willem Bottger


External Expert Advisory Board

The External Expert Advisory Board brings together two experts of bio-based polymers and composites. It provides an external and independent view on the project, critically reviews and gives feedback to the project progress in order to ensure its relevance and excellence and advises the consortium on the scientific topics and orientation.

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

Ignaas Verpoest


Hochschule Bremen

Jörg Müssig