Finnish technical center VTT is working with composite companies to help industrialize the manufacture of new generation natural fiber products.
The center has reportedly set up a three-year €6.7 million pilot project to research how fiber-based materials could replace the plastics used in, for example, food packaging, filters and textiles, as well as wiping, hygiene and construction materials. The Piloting Alternatives for Plastics project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund, VTT and companies. Following the development work, companies can move to the product development phase, VTT says.
‘In this project, we are creating a new understanding of bio-based fiber networks and how, by tailoring them, we can produce new types of recyclable materials that do not burden the environment’, said VTT vice president Jani Lehto.
Participants in the project include 52 companies from Finland and elsewhere in Europe.
This story uses material from VTT, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
