renewable bamboo core for lightweight sandwich structures

AI Quick Summary

The reduction of the weight of vehicles, airplanes, machine components, etc. helps to reduce their energy consumption. Therefore, often structurally highly efficient sandwich systems with low-density cores combined with thin and stiff facings are applied. Our novel approach is to use bamboo tubes as a renewable high performance core material replacing traditional core materials like honeycombs or polymer foams. This idea supports the reduction of CO2 emissions in the production of lightweight structures. The reduction of the weight of "accelerated masses" of vehicles (cars, trucks, ships, railroad vehicles, etc.), airplanes, machine components, etc. can improve their performance and/or contribute to the reduction of their energy consumption during service what, with today's typical energy mix, also leads to a reduction of their CO2 footprint. To realize such structurally highly efficient lightweight systems, in bionic and technical structures often sandwich designs with low-density cores combined with thin and stiff facings are applied. Today, the lightweight sandwich core materials typically consist of polymer foams, honeycombs (polymer, metal, paper, etc.) or balsa wood. Our novel approach is to use tubular bamboo cells that are oriented normal to the facings as a renewable high performance core material. Compared to the traditional core materials like polymer foams or honeycombs the renewable bamboo will significantly reduce the CO2 emissions during core material production. Additionally, we think that there could also be ecological advantages compared to the renewable balsa wood cores as bamboo is growing fast what is reducing the "land need" (to be investigated more in detail).The natural tubular structure, the well oriented "bamboo fibers" and the local porosity of the "bamboo wood" give the tubular cells an excellent normal stiffness and strength as well as a good performance under shear loads. Due to this characteristics, together with the, compared to classical honeycombs, relatively thick and porous interfaces between core and facings (good for bonding) we expect that bamboo cores are well suited to be processed together with thermoplastic matrix facings. As lightweight structures with sandwich components typically have a lifespan of several decades, the bionic bamboo core helps to store the CO2 that he took from the atmosphere during growing of the bamboo. End-of-life, the lightweight sandwich components with bamboo cores can be recycled by the following processes:material recycling: direct material recycling process routes are taking benefit from the thermoplastic matrixenergy recovery: fully bio-based thermoplastic sandwich components with bamboo core and facings made of natural fibers and bio-based matrix systems can e.g. be incinerated in a CO2 neutral waybiological recycling: by combining the bamboo core with facings made of natural fibers and a biodegradable matrix (e.g. PLA or CDA) even compostable lightweight sandwich structures can be realized In the frame of a feasibility study, the following topics shall be investigated:process route concepts for automated cutting of the core cells from bamboo stemsconcepts for automated process routes for making an easy to handle semi-product out of the bamboo core cellsmechanical characterization of selected bamboo honeycomb coresprocess routes for manufacturing lightweight sandwich systems with focus on a bamboo core and FRP facings with thermoplastic matrix design & realization of a structural demonstrator made of a sandwich structure with a bamboo core and FRP facings with thermoplastic matrixfirst assessment of costs and CO2 emissions of bamboo cores To bring the idea of bamboo honeycomb cores to a real product in the market we looking for partners with specific know-how in the field of machining of wood, automation and the sandwich core material supply chain.

Project Idea Metadata

• Project Idea Name: renewable bamboo core for lightweight sandwich structures
• Date: 3/18/2022 3:31:48 PM
• Administrators:
  • Markus Zogg

Project Idea Description

The reduction of the weight of "accelerated masses" of vehicles (cars, trucks, ships, railroad vehicles, etc.), airplanes, machine components, etc. can improve their performance and/or contribute to the reduction of their energy consumption during service what, with today's typical energy mix, also leads to a reduction of their CO₂ footprint. To realize such structurally highly efficient lightweight systems, in bionic and technical structures often sandwich designs with low-density cores combined with thin and stiff facings are applied.

Today, the lightweight sandwich core materials typically consist of polymer foams, honeycombs (polymer, metal, paper, etc.) or balsa wood. Our novel approach is to use tubular bamboo cells that are oriented normal to the facings as a renewable high performance core material. Compared to the traditional core materials like polymer foams or honeycombs the renewable bamboo will significantly reduce the CO₂ emissions during core material production. Additionally, we think that there could also be ecological advantages compared to the renewable balsa wood cores as bamboo is growing fast what is reducing the "land need" (to be investigated more in detail).

The natural tubular structure, the well oriented "bamboo fibers" and the local porosity of the "bamboo wood" give the tubular cells an excellent normal stiffness and strength as well as a good performance under shear loads. Due to this characteristics, together with the, compared to classical honeycombs, relatively thick and porous interfaces between core and facings (good for bonding) we expect that bamboo cores are well suited to be processed together with thermoplastic matrix facings.

As lightweight structures with sandwich components typically have a lifespan of several decades, the bionic bamboo core helps to store the CO₂ that he took from the atmosphere during growing of the bamboo. End-of-life, the lightweight sandwich components with bamboo cores can be recycled by the following processes:

• material recycling: direct material recycling process routes are taking benefit from the thermoplastic matrix
• energy recovery: fully bio-based thermoplastic sandwich components with bamboo core and facings made of natural fibers and bio-based matrix systems can e.g. be incinerated in a CO₂ neutral way
• biological recycling: by combining the bamboo core with facings made of natural fibers and a biodegradable matrix (e.g. PLA or CDA) even compostable lightweight sandwich structures can be realized

In the frame of a feasibility study, the following topics shall be investigated:

• process route concepts for automated cutting of the core cells from bamboo stems
• concepts for automated process routes for making an easy to handle semi-product out of the bamboo core cells
• mechanical characterization of selected bamboo honeycomb cores
• process routes for manufacturing lightweight sandwich systems with focus on a bamboo core and FRP facings with thermoplastic matrix
• design & realization of a structural demonstrator made of a sandwich structure with a bamboo core and FRP facings with thermoplastic matrix
• first assessment of costs and CO₂ emissions of bamboo cores

To bring the idea of bamboo honeycomb cores to a real product in the market we looking for partners with specific know-how in the field of machining of wood, automation and the sandwich core material supply chain.

The reduction of the weight of vehicles, airplanes, machine components, etc. helps to reduce their energy consumption. Therefore, often structurally highly efficient sandwich systems with low-density cores combined with thin and stiff facings are applied. Our novel approach is to use bamboo tubes as a renewable high performance core material replacing traditional core materials like honeycombs or polymer foams. This idea supports the reduction of CO2 emissions in the production of lightweight structures.