Notox surfboards combine upcycled carbon fiber from Airbus with Sicomin bio-resin

Sicomin (Chateauneuf Les Martiges, France) has confirmed that eco-surfboard specialist Notox (Basque, France) will use GreenPoxy 56 in its latest line of R-Carbon boards. The novel Notox R-Carbon products are said to be the first to use 100% upcycled carbon fiber fabrics recovered from a production waste stream at Airbus (Toulouse, France).

Notox, founded in 2006, has partnered with Sicomin to use GreenPoxy bio-resins in several earlier flax-, cork- and bamboo-reinforced boards. In a quest to now produce the most sustainable carbon fiber-reinforced boards possible, Notox has signed a formal agreement with Airbus Nantes to purchase defective carbon fabrics that were destined for landfill.

According to Notox, its technology gives a second life to Airbus carbon fiber fabrics that are declared unusable for aerospace applications due to short roll lengths, an inability to be pre-formed or other defects. The upcycled materials are combined with Sicomin GreenPoxy 56 and Surf Clear hardener, producing a clear, high-gloss laminate with high mechanical properties. Notox use a precisely controlled wet lamination process with vacuum bag consolidation to wet out the upcycled woven carbon fabrics and minimize resin consumption in the manufacturing process.

In addition to selecting a high bio-content resin — GreenPoxy 56 derives 56% of its carbon content from plant sources, Sicomin says — Notox has also sourced the most sustainable carbon fiber fabrics. Full life cycle analysis by Notox has shown that using waste carbon fabrics from Airbus is significantly more energy efficient than using other recycled short fiber carbon fiber, confirming the importance of upcycling this key raw material.

“At Notox, our mission is to produce the most ethical and sustainable boards. Providing great mechanical performance, a high plant-based carbon content, and a low carbon footprint due to local manufacturing, GreenPoxy 56 is a good solution for our R-Carbon technology,” Pierre Pomiers, president, Notox, says.

The performance and durability of the R-Carbon boards has recently been proven on the water, with pro surfer Clément Roseyro giving the prototypes a shake down during a big wave session at Avalanche on the Basque Coast. The surfboards’ construction is available for the entire range of Notox surfboards and as an option for the company’s foil, rescue and SUP boards.