About FOREST
FOREST is a project with a consortium that will develop innovative bio-based polymers & additives and recycled carbon fibres that will facilitate the decarbonisation of the transport sector for the next three and a half years.
The FOREST project started in December 2022 and will last until May 2026. The consortium aims to provide new and innovative green composites for sustainable and safe transport applications. The aim is fully aligned with EU 2030 Climate and Energy challenges.
Advanced lightweight materials FOr eneRgy Efficient StrucTures.
Goals
REDUCE
+FOREST will reduce the structural weight of vehicles by providing light components made of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic. In this way, less fuel and energy consumption will be necessary to cover the same distance. And will develop new chemistries based on high-biobased content for polymers and additives. In this regard, the fossil sources dependency will be reduced.
RECOVERY
+FOREST will implement efficient methods to recover 100% of carbon fibre waste to develop high-quality semi-finished materials for valuable transport applications.
RESHAPE
+FOREST will research the influence of the multifunctional properties on the biocomposite. Therefore, combine the biobased, recycled, and multifunctionality material nature to obtain sustainable solutions for the bus, aeronautic, and automotive sectors.
Concept
FOREST will develop novel lightweight multifunctional biocomposites as a competitive alternative to conventional composites.
New chemistries will be developed based on bio-based materials (reactive and nonreactive polymeric systems and fire-retardant additives) in combination with fully recycled carbon fibre and EMI particles.
These biocomposite candidates will be obtained using one-shot manufacturing techniques, involving Out-of-Autoclave (OoA) processes to build and test prototypes (TRL5) with improved multifunctional properties (mechanical resistance, fire-retardant, EMI-shielding) for transport application.
FOREST will increase the focus area on the sustainability in Circular Economy (CE) by effective circularity solutions applied to multifunctional biocomposite constituents with >50% sustainable materials contained in lightweight products.
Pathway to Mobility Decarbonization
& recycled
materials
OoA processes
reduction
shielding
properties
Sustainability
+Due to the increasing demand for carbon fiber in the transportation sector, innovative solutions are being sought to improve recycling rates and develop more environmentally friendly products.
Lightening
+The demand for lightweight materials in the transportation sector creates opportunities for the European composite market. Fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) are emerging as a promising material for reducing vehicle weight, which in turn reduces emissions from internal combustion engines (ICEs) and improves the efficiency of electric vehicles (EVs) and fuel cell vehicles.
Safety
+Sustainable materials must guarantee component stability and safety to be considered viable solutions in the transportation sector. They must meet high standards for mechanical performance (structural functions) and safety features like fire retardancy and electromagnetic wave absorption (non-structural functions).
Demonstrators
FOREST will manufacture and test high-value components:
Auto-cover battery packs
Upgrading battery pack enclosures from aluminum to a more sustainable green composite material, manufactured using Sheet Molding Compound (SMC) technology. This innovation will benefit both traditional cars and electric vehicles.
Aero cockpit ceiling/lining panel
Reimagining the design of aircraft cockpit ceiling and lining panels, traditionally made of phenolic resin, by utilizing recycled composite materials. This approach will improve both the strength and sustainability of these critical aerospace components.
Bus roof covering panel
Enhancing the performance and production efficiency of bus roof panels by incorporating selected carbon fiber modules and automating the manufacturing process.
