The EU-funded (LIFE) project FARBioTY (Fire and Ageing Resistance Biocomposite for Transportation industry) aims to develop new composite materials based on renewably-sourced flax fibres, with objectives of reduced energy consumption in production, mechanical performance, ageing resistance, low weight and environmental impact as low as possible.
The new biocomposites will particularly target the railway sector and fire safety performance compatible with railway requirements will be achieved using PIN flame retardants. Results should be transferable afterwards to other sectors (automotive, construction, naval,…) The project consortium is led by Teillage Vandecandelaere (Groupe Depestele), specialists in growing and processing flax fibres, and associates Sicomin and Nord composites as polymer resin specialists, eco-friendly textile finishing Veramtex, Polyecim Composites for the application resin/flax and LNE (Laboratoire National d’Essais) for the testing (fire resistance, smoke, ageing) of the materials