Bamboo is loved by the Chinese literati for its straightness and unyielding character, but it is also alienating because of its noble and unconventional temperament. Some people say, "Bamboo, why don't you go to heaven if you are so noble?"
But the French say: it's on its way! Why is that? It starts with a news story.
Recently, Aviation Week reported that the French BAMCO consortium is developing a new aerospace composite material based on bamboo fibers for use in future aircraft to replace standard parts and blade elements in the cabin and cockpit.
Replacing glass fiber with bamboo fiber, doesn't it feel surprising and exciting! You know, this work, before, no company has ever done!
Why would you use bamboo fibers to make aerospace composites?
This is because it is more environmentally friendly than modern composite materials made of glass or carbon fibers and various polymer binders. A certain amount of unused hardened material is always present in the production of various composite parts because of cutting and trimming, and because there is no large-scale processing method, they have to be thrown away as waste and pollute the environment.
Under current processing conditions, bamboo fiber composites are more environmentally friendly than modern glass and carbon fibers. In addition, to make it more environmentally friendly, the company is developing a plant-derived polymer adhesive to replace traditional adhesives.
As for the exact type of aircraft on which bamboo composites will be used, BAMCO did not disclose. All that is known is that after the first samples are obtained they will pass a series of tests to check the fire stability of the composite, the smoke released during fire and toxic requirements for compliance with FAA regulations. Unlike in the past when the new material was out of reach, if progress goes well and testing of the new composite is completed, the material will begin mass production.
Expleo, Arkema, Cobratex, Specific Polymers, Cirimat, Compositadour, Lisa Aeronautics and MécanoID collaborate to develop new technical bio-sourced composites using long bamboo fibers. This innovation, called Bamco (BAmboo long-fiber reinforced bio-substrate style composite), could ultimately help reduce the environmental impact of aircraft with benefits that may extend beyond aerospace, where minimizing environmental impact is a growing concern in industry. In the aerospace field, research is turning to designing new materials.
Certain polymer composites, such as the glass fiber/phenolic composites currently in use, will soon be subject to the European REACH regulation, and there is an urgent need to develop equally effective alternative solutions.
Bamboo/ TP biocomposites
For the past four years, Expleo and the Intercollegiate Center for Materials Research and Engineering Cirimat have been collaborating on the concept of biocomposites, which include bioresource thermoplastic matrices reinforced with continuous bamboo fibers. The concept has been proven in the laboratory and now needs to be validated on an industrial scale. the FUI Bamco project addresses this challenge by proposing new biocomposites created using long bamboo fibers. Although solutions based on flax or hemp fibers already exist, bamboo fiber-reinforced biocomposites are completely new. Due to their very low weight (lighter weight means lower fuel consumption), heat resistance and mechanical properties (strength, shock and vibration damping), they will be an alternative to glass fiber/phenolic composites. Bamboo cultivation is also very effective in solving environmental problems due to the rapid growth of the plant, which consumes less water, uses less land, and requires no fertilizers or pesticides.
Aerospace, Marine & Sports
Bamco biocomposites are used in the aerospace industry for cabin furniture, covers and fuselage cladding panels, or for panels in galleys where aircraft attendants prepare and store in-flight meals. They can also be used to manufacture finished components for the yachting and leisure sports markets.
The Bamco project is certified for quality by the Aerospace Valley Competitive Cluster and validated by DG Enterprise and Industry under FUI 24 (through a cross-sector fund to finance competitive cluster projects). It is also supported by the French regions of Occitania-Pyrenees-Mediterranean and Normandy and by the Bpifrance Public Investment Bank. A consortium of eight stakeholders, companies and research laboratories provided expertise.
Project Interests
The Bamco project is sponsored by Expleo, a leading group in engineering, quality and digital solutions and initiator of innovation. Expleo is applying its expertise in materials engineering and aeronautics to the design of prototype parts, and it is also overseeing this large-scale, high-potential industrial project. Arkema and Engineered Polymers are responsible for formulating and processing polymers of biological origin for use in composite matrices.
Cobratex is researching and will plan to use a number of different bamboo species, some of which are grown in France. In order to meet all the processing constraints associated with different composite matrices and processes, Cobratex will strive to optimize its own conversion processes and its own innovative enhancements.
The company is also responsible for expanding the process of technical enhancements and semi-finished products developed directly by Cirimat. The research lab is working with biocomposites - Cirimat on a laboratory scale and Compositadour on an industrial scale. Cirimat specializes in the design and laboratory-scale production of composite materials consisting of thermoplastic or thermoset matrices reinforced with continuous bamboo fibers. MécanoID is performing damping tests and modeling the behavior of biocomposites. Aircraft manufacturer Lisa Aeronautics is participating in the development of prototype parts for its future aircraft. the Bamco project is currently in the operational phase and development is underway.
