Innovation: ENEA presented sustainable materials for the industry at JEC Forum Italy

Technical fabrics and recyclable materials resistant to time, high temperatures and fire for the automotive, aerospace, construction, energy and nautical sectors are the next generation materials presented by ENEA at the "JEC Forum Italy 2023" in Bologna, the first edition of the event dedicated to composites organized by the JEC Group in collaboration with Assocompositi.

In addition to prototypes like the hood of the FIAT 500 Abarth, ENEA presented:

• innovative processes patented by ENEA to manufacture tapes, yarns and technical fabrics from production waste as part of the Ecocarbon project, to give a new life to materials destined for disposal, reducing waste, waste of raw materials and energy required for manufacturing processes;
• new smart and sustainable fabrics for creative design and made in Italy and high-value composites for the automotive industry made with recycled carbon fibers from the REVALUE project;
• prototype textile plants for manufacturing of semi-finished products (veils, ribbons and yarns) based on recycled carbon fibers mixed with different types of traditional fibers (nylon, PET, natural fibers, etc.), created for the TEX-STYLE project;
• composite metal laminates (Fiber Metal Laminate - FML) for for the aerospace industry, a technology developed and covered by two ENEA patents. The goal is to make the technology applicable to a wide array of sectors, including construction, boating, renewable energy, particularly for the construction of battery cases for electric cars, which require sustainable, light, fire-resistant and recyclable materials. Specifically, ENEA coordinates the study of solutions of high industrial interest according to requirements and applications;
• innovative materials reinforced with basalt fiber, the so-called "prepreg preceramics", for lightweight composites, resistant to high temperatures and fire, sustainable because they are obtained using industrial waste, low-cost thanks to manufacturing costs comparable to those of polymeric composites, useful to build exhaust pipes, heat shields, panels and fire doors for applications in the transportation, construction and aerospace sectors;
• ceramic matrix composites (Ceramic Matrix Composites - CMC) with high resistance to thermal stress and chemical inertia for energy applications, new manufacturing processes based on microwave-assisted chemical vapor infiltration, useful in the iron and steel industry and other productive sectors;
• sustainable bio-based and recyclable structural composites for car bonnets, manufactured with biomass-derived resins as part of the C2CC project, which dealt with manufacturing engineering of semi-finished products, development of the recycling process and compliance with the expectations of the automotive industry.