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Find here all publications that were created and published within the context of the r-LightBioCom project.
Halyna Brämer, Luisa Medina (HSKL); October 2025.
Poster presented at the Tag der Forschung 2025. This study investigates hybrid composites combining natural fibres (flax, hemp) and basalt fibres (BF) with polypropylene (PP) and recycled PP (rPP and rPP-carpet). Incorporating rPP maintains or enhances mechanical performance, while increasing recycled content. The results highlight the potential of these composites for automotive applications, balancing sustainability and performance.
P. Contreras (1), L. Matesanz (1), M. Santiago (1), M. Fernández (1), E. Cañibano (1, 2)
(1) Fundación CIDAUT, Pl. Vicente Aleixandre Campos, 2, 47151 Boecillo, Valladolid.
(2) Universidad de Valladolid, Paseo del Cauce 59, 47011 Valladolid, España
Autoclave processes have been traditionally used effectively in the production of thermoset composites, although in recent years, out-of-autoclave (OOA) approaches have become increasingly important. The OOA techniques reduce curing times and generate high energy efficiency, leading to energy savings and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Technologies that directly heat the sample, known as fast curing, stand out. In this framework, CIDAUT proposed the use of an efficient and more sustainable processing technique, called transfer molding (RTM) together with frontal photopolymerization.
In the present study, photopolymerization has enabled the rapid curing of polymer composites by RTM, resembling a serial industrial process that provides composite materials with properties similar to those obtained by traditional thermal curing.
Ivan Domenech, J. Javier Pascual, Francesc Fornes (AITEX); September 2024.
Poster presented at the SAMPE Europe 24 Conference in Belfast under the theme Advanced & Sustainable Composites: A study conducted by project partner AITEX, focusing on adapting textile technologies for processing recycled carbon fibre and other fibers from recycled composites. Challenges include modifying textile processes for manipulate fragile, high conductivity, static electricity, and low flexural resistance fibres. Results include yarns and fabrics from recycled carbon fibre, suitable for new thermoplastic composites. Linear fiber alignment in yarns and fabrics enhances several mechanical properties compared to nonwovens.
Poster about Design and Manufacturing of Biocomopsites from Rapid Curing Technologies developed in r-LightBioCom, presented by project partner CIDAUT during the 10th Jornadas de Investigadoras de Castilla y León (10th Conference of Women Researchers of Castilla y León) in Valladolid, Spain.
Ferreres, G. (UPC); Pérez-Rafael, S. (UPC); Morena, A.G. (UPC); Tzanov, T. (UPC); Gryshchuk, L. (IVW). In: Polymers, 2023, 15, 3608. September 2023
In this joint study, r-LightBioCom‘s partners Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya and Leibniz-Institut für Verbundwerkstoffe GmbH created and investigated hemp biomass bio-fillers, which offer the very good possibility to modify the mechanical properties of e.g. foams for composite materials. Hydrophobization of hemp protein (HHP) particles with lauryl gallate by an enzymatic, laccase-mediated functionalization allowed creating such filler, which effective reduce density of the polyurethane (PU) and epoxy (EP) composite foams. Introduction of HHP filler has different influence on the foams morphology – the fillers increased the size of the cells, while reducing the amount of open cells of PU foams and the amount of closed cells for EP foams. Moreover, both types of foams filled with hydrophobized filler reduced the moisture uptake by 80 and 45%, respectively, indicating the successful hydrophobization of the composites.
Lignin, the most abundant renewable aromatic polymer, has been successfully transformed into highly concentrated lignin nanoparticles using an eco-friendly continuous sonochemical process. By optimizing ultrasound parameters, researchers achieved precise control over particle size and distribution, paving the way for innovative material applications and the potential for real-time process monitoring.
Giulia Crivello, Giuliana Orlandini, Tzanko Tzanov, et al. In: Pharmaceutics; MDPI; June 2023.
The r-LightBioCom project aims to revolutionise the lightweight high-performance composite materials for automotive, infrastructure, and aeronautics applications, among others, by endowing them with lignin-based nanoparticles as structural and functional elements in the composites. But did you know that these lightweight nano-composites can also be applied for treating chronic wounds?
Researchers from Politecnico di Torino and r-LightBioCom’s project partner Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya developed lightweight supramolecular nano-composite hydrogels embedded with lignin-cobalt nanoparticles as promising materials for chronic wound treatment.