The automotive industry is facing increasing pressure to improve its sustainability and environmental protection practices. With the intensification of European regulations and manufacturers’ commitment to reducing their carbon footprint, the time has come to rethink the materials used in vehicles. This is where the FIBIAS++ project, led by IRT Jules Verne, comes into its own. The aim of the project is to develop thermoplastic composites based on recycled materials for use in the automotive industry, where reducing vehicle emissions and weight has become crucial.

 

One of the key players in this project is FORVIA, the world’s 7th largest automotive technology supplier. Aware of its environmental responsibilities, the company is committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and minimising its environmental footprint, while complying with the legal requirements of the European Union. For FORVIA, participating in FIBIAS++ is perfectly aligned with its ‘Net Zero Emissions’ strategy.

 

With the rise of electric vehicles, reducing vehicle weight is a priority, particularly for manufacturers such as STELLANTIS, a partner in the project, which has made a commitment to be carbon net zero in 2038.  Thermoplastic composites are becoming an essential alternative to thermoset composites and metallic materials in the manufacture of automotive components, but the challenge lies in the very nature of this material. Can we produce a more environmentally sustainable composite, and integrate it into an environment of metal parts, while maintaining sufficient mechanical performance to meet strict safety requirements? This is the central question that FIBIAS++ is seeking to answer.

 

FIBIAS++: Cleaner and more sustainable composites

The FIBIAS++ project is the continuation of an initial research project that focused on developing technologies for processing thermoplastic composites. This second phase adds an environmental dimension, with the aim of developing composites with a low CO2 footprint and incorporating recycled materials, while maintaining high performance for semi-structural and even structural automotive applications.

 

 

The project teams are working on composites such as organosheets (*), GMT (Glass Mat reinforced Thermoplastics) and sandwich structures. The major challenge is to incorporate recycled materials such as PET. The environmental benefits are considerable: these thermoplastic composites could reduce CO2 emissions by 50% compared with traditional materials such as steel or thermoset composites. In addition, such an innovation offers a material with a high recycled content that has similar mechanical properties to equivalent materials of non-recycled quality.  This makes it possible to develop parts with a weight saving of 30 to 35% compared with metal structures, which is a key factor in lightening electric vehicles and optimising their autonomy, as well as reducing the CO2 footprint and incorporating recycled content.

 

 

Recycling at the heart of the process

One of the innovative aspects of FIBIAS++ is the recycling of post-consumer and post-industrial waste. IMT Nord Europe, a key partner in the project, has focused on the manufacture of PET film from recycled materials, such as crushed plastic bottles. These recycled materials are then incorporated into thermoplastic composite products or semi-finished products. IMT Nord Europe also assessed the effects of the shredding process on the performance of the materials, as the aim is to maintain optimum mechanical properties throughout the recycling cycle.

 

At the same time, the IRT Jules Verne has developed a specific low-shear mixer for directly recycling composites scrap and offcuts. This equipment mixes the waste to produce a homogeneous molten dough that can be reused by stamping or thermocompression to form finished parts or assemblies with metal parts. This innovation could be particularly promising for industrial production lines, where it would make it possible to avoid complex and costly subsequent processing of waste, while reducing transport and the costs associated with external recycling.

 

 

 

A promising collaboration for the future of the industry

The FIBIAS++ project represents a major step forward for the automotive industry, but also for other sectors that could benefit from these innovations. Thanks to the joint efforts of the IRT Jules Verne, FORVIA, STELLANTIS, IMT Nord Europe and CMO (a mould maker in the composites sector), concrete solutions are being developed to reduce the environmental impact while preserving the performance of the materials.

 

The results are encouraging and pave the way for the wider integration of recycled thermoplastic composites in various industrial sectors. In addition, the mixer developed by the IRT could find applications in other sectors where waste management is a major issue.

 

Towards a more sustainable future

The FIBIAS++ project marks an important step towards the ecological transition of the automotive industry. By using recycled materials while maintaining high quality standards, this project provides a concrete response to current environmental challenges. The collaboration between the various partners has enabled the development of innovative technologies with applications that go beyond the automotive sector and could be of use to other industries that are sensitive to the need to optimize resources.

 

‘The future of this project could see new developments in the use of recycled composites, and further strengthen the circular economy dynamic in industry. FIBIAS++ is a fine illustration of how technological research and innovation can contribute to a more sustainable world,’ concludes Céline Constantin, project manager at IRT Jules Verne.

 

 

 

 

 

(*) an organosheet is a consolidated multi-layer prepreg or semi-preg sheets made of carbon or glass fibre fabrics and thermoplastics