Modeling and optimization of biocomposite processing

Eco-friendly materials and products are important ingredients in a society for sustainable development. The Cellulose Biocomposites project is a multidisciplinary effort exploring new opportunities for nanostructured cellulose materials. Research towards new materials and processing concepts is performed, including a sustainability perspective. Participating universities include KTH Royal Inst of Technology, Stockholm, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg and Luleå Univ of Technology. The goals are new material concepts and knowledge towards better performance, new functionalities and eco-friendly attributes. The project is directed by Prof Lars Berglund at Wallenberg Wood Science Center, Dept of Fiber and Polymer Technology, KTH; blund@kth.se.
Biomaterials are a critical ingredient in the context of overarching societal efforts to increase the use of renewable materials. Therefore, the use of polymer with natural fiber reinforcements is expected to increase significantly. A current drive for polymer biocomposites is to maximize the use of renewable content in mass production systems. However, the full potential of highly filled biocomposites cannot be reached without the development of dedicated processing components.