Natural fibres

The proteins in yeast left over from brewing beer, making wine or producing pharmaceuticals can be repurposed to manufacture affordable, strong fibres, according to researchers at The Pennsylvania

Bark from the paper mulberry tree is being converted into hydrophobic and antimicrobial fibres using a simple and scalable process by researchers at Northeast Forestry University in Harbin, China.

Prepregs made from flax-fibre fabrics are being supplied by SGL Carbon, of Wiesbaden, Germany, for the production of automotive bodywork. 

Composites reinforced with flax fibres from Bcomp are to be used by BMW in place of carbon fibre-reinforced plastics (CFRPs) to mass-produce exterior and interior parts for its cars.

Producer of flax-fibre reinforcements Bcomp has formed a strategic collaboration with composites manufacturer SFG Composites to mass-produce flax-fibre composites for the automotive industry.

A line for the decortication and refining of hemp, and the production of felts from the resulting fibres, has been installed at Ekolution's new facility in Malmö, Sweden, by Andritz Group.

A flax-fibre composite called ampliTex and developed by Bcomp, of Fribourg, Switzerland, has been used by Temca Matériaux Composites (Temca), of Xertigny, France, to create the cladding panels for

A white paper⁽¹⁾ that assesses the performance of a high- performance, wool-based acquisition distribution layer (ADL, neweFlex) for the

Cellulosic fibres derived from an invasive species of plant are being used to make biodegradable composite plant pots by researchers at the German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendor

Biodegradable composites of wood wool and polylactic acid (PLA) are being developed by researchers at Technical University (TU) Dresden in Germany, who say that they could be used to compression-mo

EcoTechnilin has purchased machinery for cleaning flax scutcher tow from Dilo Temafa to augment its flax fibre-preparation plant in France.

A method for colouring flax fibres for use as reinforcements for composites is being developed by Hypetex of London, UK.

Flax fibre-based reinforcements (ampliTex) for composites from Bcomp will be used for the production of the seatbacks for bucket seats in Spanish car manufacturer Cupra's Born VZ electric vehicles.

Manufacturer of carbon fibre-reinforced prepregs, Blackfabric, is working with developer of bamboo-based reinforcements for composites, Cobratex, to develop a range of woven bidirectional fabrics m

French producer of flax fibres, Groupe Depestele, has acquired a minority share in a German company that uses natural fibre-reinforced plastics (NFRPs) for the manufacture of parts for a wide varie

Flax fibre-based reinforcements (ampliTex) for composites from Bcomp will be used for the production of trims for the dashboard and doors of Volvo Cars' small, all-electric EX30 sports utility vehi

Manufacturer of technical textiles and composites, Porcher Industries, and producer of flax fibres, Terre de Lin, are to cooperate to increase sales of flax-fibre-based reinforcements for thermopla

A cost-effective and energy-efficient process for the production of carbon fibres from lignin is being developed by researchers at the German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DI

An efficient additive manufacturing (AM) process for the production of natural fibre-reinforced bioplastic parts is being developed by researchers at the German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Rese

A recyclable and biodegradable yarn made from fibres sourced from waste pineapple leaves has been launched by Ananas Anam of London, UK. 

Fibres, fabrics, epoxy resins and adhesives from Sicomin have been used by Grand Largue Composites (GLC) to construct the first Class40 racing yacht to feature a significant quantity of flax-fibre

A range of production-ready, flax fibre-reinforced plastic parts has been launched for use in the automotive industry by Cobra Advanced Composites (CAC) of Chonburi, Thailand.  

Ahlström Capital Group has signed an agreement to acquire 20% of manufacturer of natural fibres for the nonwovens industry, Bast Fibre Technologies (BFT). 

The production of fibres for technical textiles and the reinforcement of composites from by-products of lavender farming is being explored by researchers in Germany. 

A range of prepregs comprising partially bio-based epoxy resins reinforced with natural fibres has been launched for use in the automotive, winter sports, marine and wind-energy industries by Hexce

Dry-powder-impregnated flax tapes have been developed for the production of composites by manufacturer of natural-fibre reinforcements, Depestele Group, and Fibroline. 

Manufacturer of reinforcement for composites, Saertex, and supplier of flax fibres, Terre de Lin, have entered into a partnership to produce flax-based non-crimp fabrics for the marine, and sports

Developer of flax-based technical fabrics for the reinforcement of composites, Bcomp, has received CHF32.4 million (US$35 million) from investors after closing its latest funding round. 

A honeycomb sandwich panel with flax fibre-reinforced thermoplastic skins has been developed by Belgian companies EconCore and Flaxco.

A brake cover made from a flax-fibre reinforced thermoset overmoulded with reinforcing elements made from thermoplastics has been developed for use on a motorcross motorcycle. 

A technique originally designed for the preservation of human remains is being used to make natural-fibre reinforcements for composites, such as those made from bamboo, stronger and more durable.

What is claimed to be the first offshore nacelle to be made from natural fibre-reinforced composites (NFCs) has recently been delivered to Delft Offshore Turbine of The Netherlands where its perfor

Manufacturer of natural fibres for the global nonwovens industry, Bast Fibre Technologies (BFT), has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a facility for processing natural fibres, Lumbert

A flax fibre-reinforced epoxy nacelle for an offshore wind turbine has been developed by Greenboats of Bremen, Germany.

Thermally insulating nonwovens based on fibres extracted from milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), a plant native to North America, are being produced on a commercial scale by Eko-Terre Inc of Co

McLaren has developed what it claims to be the first part for a Formula One (F1) car to be made from a natural fibre-reinforced plastic.  

Fabrics made from flax and a bio-based resin are to be used to manufacture body panels for what is described by its manufacturer as the world’s first purpose-built, 16-t electric vehicle (EV) desig

Working with the European Space Agency (ESA), Bcomp of Fribourg, Switzerland, has developed what it claims to be the first panel for satellites reinforced with natural fibres.

UK-based Jiva Materials and French nonwovens manufacturer EcoTechnilin have claimed Innovation Awards at the 2019 editions of JEC World and JEC Asia for their development

A range of flax fibre-reinforced epoxy prepregs for use in motorsport applications has been introduced by Composites Evolution of Chesterfield, UK.

Researchers are looking to the oceans as the source of raw materials for fibres, with separate projects in Israel and the USA examining bacteria that feed on seaweed and algae.

The European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA) is demanding that European Union (EU) limits for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis) content in industrial

A method of recycling cotton fabrics to provide functional cellulose materials has been developed by the University of Texas of Austin, USA.

Agrotextiles that are wholly biocompostable were introduced by Lenzing AG at Techtextil (held in Frankfurt, Germany, on 9–12 May 2017).