SSUCHY

The objective of the SSUCHY project is to develop and optimise components based on plant fibres for manufacturing structural and multifunctional biocomposites. The project is fully integrated into the research program of the Bio-Based Industries (BBI) Joint Technology Initiatives operating under Horizon 2020, and particularly focused on BBI Value Chains 1 which is dedicated partly to the transformation of lignocellulosic feedstock to advanced bio-based materials. The project aims at exploiting the intrinsic and differentiating properties of plant fibres to develop and enhance the functionalities of bio-based composites and thus to diversify their applicative sectors. The intended application areas are transportation, civil engineering (structural parts), biomedical engineering (materials for biomedical devices), sport and nautical-leisure products. Enhanced functionalities are, in addition to load-bearing resistance and weight reduction of structures, vibration damping, multi-scale shape forming and material health monitoring based on self-sensing. Such developments would provide to the composite industry a significant value and functions added products with high socio-economic impacts and minimized environmental impact. The proposed methodology will be implemented within the framework of a multi-level eco-efficiency issue which covers experimental aspects, process optimisation, modelling and design. To raise the multi-disciplinary and multi-scale fundamental and technological barriers, mounting an ambitious and innovative project with a consortium aggregating very wide ranging skills on one hand and academics, SMEs and industries on the other hand is necessary.