This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project is to demonstrate the feasibility of manufacturing high-strength and low-density natural fiber composites for structural applications in the construction and automotive industries using a preform compression molding process. The mechanical performance of current natural fiber composites is limited to non-load-bearing components in structures due to poor fiber/matrix interface and short fiber length limited by conventional manufacturing processes. To address this issue, this project will investigate an innovative high-throughput preform compression molding process using an air-laying deposition technique. The technical result of this program will enable the production of a new class of green composites to create sustainable building materials and light weight fuel efficient vehicles.
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is to produce natural fiber composites with adequate mechanical properties for structural applications in the construction and automotive industries for sustainable building materials and energy efficient vehicles. It is expected that high performance and less expensive natural fiber composite will quickly gain a considerable market share in the $20 billion building materials market and $162 million automotive interior panels market. In addition, this new class of sustainable composites will provide multiple broader impacts including 1) significant weight reductions for more fuel-efficient vehicles; 2) improved water- and UV-resistance over conventional materials for green buildings that optimize the indoor environmental quality with lower maintenance costs; 3) stronger building materials and safer vehicle panels due to the high vibration damping and impact resistance of these composites; 4) the use of renewable resources for sustainable materials production to achieve energy and environmental efficiency; and 5) potential Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) credits and/or tax rebates to end users.
CetoTech has successfully demonstrated the feasibility of using a fiber preform compression molding technology to produce low density (1.0g/cc), high strength (50MPa), and low cost ($1.3/SF) natural fiber composites through NSF SBIR phase I efforts. The high performance green composites (Ceto-Composites) consist of chemically treated kenaf fibers as reinforcement and recycled high-density polyethylene (rHDPE) as the matrix. The keys attributes of Ceto-Composites include high bending resistance, high impact resistance, high abrasion resistance, high durability, and low moisture absorption. The lighter, stronger, and cheaper Ceto-Composites can serve multiple industries including construction, automotive, sporting goods, defense, and energy. Our initial market entry is in exterior building applications due to the superior performance and competitive cost structure of our products compared to conventional materials including wood plastic composites, fiber cement board, and plywood. This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I program has enabled natural fiber composites that have adequate mechanical properties for structural applications in the construction and automotive industries for sustainable building materials and energy efficient vehicles. The global market for natural fiber composites is estimated to reach $3.8 billion in 2016 as a result of ever increasing environmental and energy concerns coupled with the rising price of synthetic fibers and metal alloys. Successful completion of this SBIR phase I program has resulted in a scalable manufacturing process to enable the commercial production of high performance natural fiber composites. The value propositions of the proposed materials include 1) significant weight and cost reductions to enable their use in sustainable structural materials and fuel efficient vehicles; 2) improved water and UV resistance over conventional materials for green buildings that optimize indoor environmentals with lower maintenance costs; 3) stronger building materials and safer vehicle panels due to the high vibration damping and impact resistance of these composites; 4) the use of renewable resources for sustainable materials production to achieve energy and environmental efficiency; and 5) potential LEED credit and/or tax rebate to end users. Major research milestones achieved in Phase I are summarized below: Developed fiber preform compression molding process and determined key process variables including: temperature, pressure, and cycle time by iteratively working between experiments and process molding. Conducted structural modeling to determine the elastic deformation of finished product under various loading conditions. Optimized key process variables in manufacturing Ceto-Composites, including fiber type, fiber length, fiber mat density, fiber loading ratio, etc. Fabricated Ceto-Composites prototypes using the process developed in this project Characterized key mechanical properties of Ceto-Composites, including tensile, compression, flexural strength and modulus, Charpy impact strength, low velocity impact, vibration damping, mechanical fastener holding strength, and slip resistance. Characterized key durability properties of Ceto-Composites including water absorption, UV resistance, creep resistance, etc. Collected baseline data on thermal properties, including coefficient of thermal expansion, conductivity, degradation temperature, etc.
