Material developments include both thermoplastic and thermoset composites. Finite-length fibers such as cellulose, wood fibers or natural fibers (e.g. flax or hemp), but also continuous fibers such as aramids, glass fibers or high-strength carbon fibers can be used as reinforcing materials. The aim of the developments are cost-efficient and sustainable materials as well as improved material and/or processing properties.
Current topics at TITK are:
- Material developments on the basis of cellulose, wood or natural fibers with a
- reduced basis weight
- improved emission and impact behavior
- bio-based matrix
- high-quality surface design and soft-touch properties
- Development of innovative sandwich components with honeycomb or nonwoven-based core layers (Light Weight Reinforced Thermoplastics LWRT)
- Development of fiber-based impact modifiers for injection molding applications
- Development of recyclable fiber composites as well as composites based on recycled reinforcing fibers
- Development and characterization of sheet molding compounds (SMC) with recycled fibers
- Development and optimization of composites made from recycled carbon fibers
- Functional integration of composites
