Issue 03/2022

Flax for honeycomb panel
Flax instead of glass fibres for lightweight solutions
Materials
In 2020 Flaxco ® (Roeselare, Belgium) approached
EconCore (Leuven, Belgium) suggesting a combination of
thermoplastic honeycomb technology with Flaxco’s flax
fibre technology. The polypropylene honeycomb material
produced by EconCore offers a high-performance-toweight
ratio along with efficient energy absorption.
This is achieved through the materials synonymous
honeycomb shaped hollow cells which support sandwich
sheets to provide levels of high rigidity with minimal weight.
Pioneering the use of flax with honeycomb technology,
the partnership sees Flaxco’s flax fabric composite skins
combined with EconCore polypropylene core to produce
sandwich panels.
In order to generate a high level of stiffness, sandwich
cores require surface layers, like the neatly woven layers
that Flaxco have the means to create. Once created the
panels can be thermoformed thanks to their thermoplastic
properties. This is typically done by means of short cycle
compression moulding.
Achieving a product with well-balanced characteristics,
required pre-pregs of 0.5–1mm thickness to be used.
By optimising flax technology with the polypropylene
honeycomb core Flaxco is able to achieve much higher
levels of rigidity. The table below describes the bending
performance of a sandwich panel with flax composite skins.
Flax fibres are a 100 % natural fibres that produce lower
CO 2
levels than competitor materials including glass and
carbon fibres, an increasingly important element within the
automotive industry. Furthermore, research and testing are
already underway for the material to find its place within the
sports industry.
With high levels of cost-efficiency compared to more
conventional materials, the new Flaxco composite is
expected to be the material of choice in a number of
applications, especially those requiring dimensional
stability. The new material aims to not only be used in new
markets and applications but also replace non-sustainable
materials already in use.
Jochen Pflug, EconCore CEO added: “For new product
developments sustainable materials have become a key
requirement. Within the automotive industry, in particular,
suppliers seek sustainable materials which lower their CO 2
footprint”.
Pflug continued: “Flaxco’s natural flax fibre polypropylene
composites are an ideal combination with our polypropylene
honeycomb cores to achieve a sustainable material that
retains high levels of performance. The production costs
of thick monolithic laminates are high because many
layers need to be combined, our honeycombs increase the
stiffness and strength but require only a minimal amount of
material in two thin surface layers”.
One factor that has greatly benefitted the partnership
between Flaxco and EconCore is the locations of their
facilities. With both EconCore and Flaxco being based in
Belgium, allowing for a local supply chain. Throughout
both the design and manufacturing stages the advantages
of this proved its advantages with regular stable deliveries
and less transport being required, essential when one crisis
after the other affects the transportation chains, from the
Coronavirus pandemic to the recent raw material shortages.
Ludwig Ryckebosch, Innovation and Business
Development Manager at Flaxco said: “It was a match
made in heaven. EconCore’s polypropylene honeycomb has
been incredibly easy to work with. Its lightweight properties
meant that it was the perfect choice to combine with our
technology to develop flax fibre composite material”.
The flax composite material is expected to have
commercial applications across many industries,
especially automotive interiors and computer casings. With
sustainability being a key focus for companies across the
globe, this all-new flax composite’s ability to be recycled
without compromising on performance will play its role in
reducing carbon emissions. AT
https://econcore.com/en | https://flaxco.be
bioplastics MAGAZINE [03/22] Vol. 17 29