SSUCHY-Next has been building further where the previous BBI SSUCHY project stopped in 2022. Ambition is to bring different parts of the hemp fibre supply chain to TRL 7, through production at scale of various fibre products, covering the complete value chain from field to composite. Two value chains are further developed. Fibres are extracted by either scutching or by breaking roller/card, linking into different geographical regions. Hackled and carded slivers are further processed into high quality preforms for composites: woven and quasi-unidirectional fabrics and purely unidirectional (UD) hemp tape. The appearance at industrial scale of high quality hemp fibres should give a boost to plant fibre composites in competition with glass fibre composites, offering both an environmentally sound and cost effective alternative, especially with less expensive medium length fibres. In the first year, already high quality UD hemp tape was delivered by Ecotechnilin, as well as a good quality quasi-UD fabric by Linificio. The medium length fibre delivery is currently underway.
With hemp fibres which are largely circular, one of the major bottlenecks for a further breakthrough of bio-based composites has been the lack of (fully) bio-based, environmentally sound and as well cost efficient polymer matrices. Hence, our ambition in SSUCHY-Next to work on 3 bio-based resins: bio-based acrylic polymer (“Elium®”) with very high bio-content, and fully bio-based benzoxazine and Bisguaiacol-based epoxy, building upon developments in SSUCHY. All systems developed to TRL 6 or 7. In the first year we established a road-map to source the various needed bio-based base chemicals, so we can deliver bio-substituted resins with at least 90% bio-based content by month 30 when the demonstrator products will be prepared.
To demonstrate the viability of the materials, various inspiring applications are developed to TRL7. We demonstrate the design, production, testing and certification of a 12.6 meter long wind turbine blade, made from hemp and bio-based acrylic. Wood-based products are developed, based on infiltrated wood scaffolds, in first instance with fluid acrylic, but also a benzoxazine based version is developed; also a hybrid wood-based product with hemp reinforcement is included to produce a high performance construction material. Large scale building applications are demonstrated, based on shorter fibres and benzoxazine. For each developed product we demonstrate its recyclability. All developments are monitored and adjusted by means of LCA.
