Flax fiber composite innovations, circularity services

Flax fiber producer Groupe Depestele (Normandy, France; Stand 5C53) is presenting its advancements in natural fiber composites, featuring samples and demonstrator components manufactured by sustainable composites solutions composite Greenboats (Breman, Germany). Greenboats announced that Groupe Depestele had acquired a minority share in the company in September 2023.

Over the past 15 years, Groupe Depelstele has developed twist-free flax roving, effectively blending sustainability with high performance. Groupe Depelstele has also partnered with Fibroline (Limonest, France), specialists in dry powder impregnation. This collaboration has produced dry impregnated natural fiber tapes, a fusion of Groupe Depelstele’s expertise in flax fiber and Fibroline’s technology. This innovation aims to provide high-performance materials with reduced environmental impact.

Greenboats uses these innovations to create versatile and robust composites, including skins, panels and complete structures. The company’s JEC World 2024 showcase, the Greenlander Sherpa expedition vehicle will be on display at the Mobility Planet. Made with natural fiber composite sandwich panels and profiles made with Depestele flax fiber, the Sherpa demonstrates natural fiber composites’ practical and environmental advantages.

Greenboats is also introducing its product offer Circular Structures, a platform by which a company can effectively lease natural fiber composite components, which are then returned to Greenboats at the products’ end of life (EOL) for deconstruction and reuse in a new application (see video below for more information).

Samples and components from Greenboats will also be on display at partner booths Karl Mayer GmbH (Obertshausen, Germany), which helped in the development of flax biaxial noncrimp fabrics, and Cobra International (Chonburi, Thailand).