CeNTI

Green Materials – Focus on building a sustainable future

In recent decades, there has been a growing demand and interest in biopolymers, natural fibres, bio-based and/or recyclable resins for the development of sustainable, lightweight, multifunctional, and cost-effective composite materials, capable of replacing traditional materials and helping achieve sustainability goals.

The use of green composite materials and the implementation of sustainable processes and practices contribute to decarbonisation, production of higher-performance products, and extending product life, thereby minimising their environmental impact. Along with these advantages, the strength and design flexibility offered by these materials make them an integral part of a sustainable future in various sectors, such as aerospace, automotive, construction, packaging, and energy.

In this context, CeNTI has been working on developing more sustainable composite materials using thermoforming technologies, vacuum-assisted infusion, Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM), injection [In-Mould Decoration (IMD), In-Mould Labelling (IML), and In-Mould Electronics (IME)], as well as overmoulding and the incorporation of prepregs, sensing elements, fibres, textile structures, and/or coatings with a wide range of characteristics.

The creation of new intelligent structures applied to the field of composites is one of the Centre's focuses. By exploring the additivation of structural materials, such as resins, hydrogels, and polymers, it is possible to develop new sensing (e.g., biomonitoring, structural health) and actuation (e.g., thermoregulation, sound, vibration, lighting) solutions, with multisectoral applications.

One of the strong areas of focus also includes new solutions for fully flexible actuation, namely soft robotics. This field is rapidly growing due to the advances in rapid prototyping and the availability of new flexible materials. The application of innovative materials, such as piezoelectrics, shape memory, among others, combined with advanced manufacturing processes and innovative designs, offers unique opportunities for developing disruptive soft robotics solutions with "embedded intelligence", capable of adapting to dynamic environments and performing tasks with high precision and efficiency.