The EU-funded FOREST project, coordinated by AIMPLAS, has validated lightweight composite solutions that can reduce component weight by up to 35% compared with conventional materials.

The project demonstrated that transport components can contain more than 50% sustainable materials by combining bio-based feedstocks, recycled carbon fibres and functional additives without compromising performance, safety or durability.

Process optimisation also reduced energy consumption by 15–25%, while accelerated curing chemistry cut manufacturing cycle times by 20–40%. One-shot manufacturing eliminated intermediate processing steps and the need for freezer storage.

Three real-world demonstrators

• Electric vehicle battery cover — a bio-benzoxazine matrix with recycled carbon fibre, bio-based flame-retardant and EMI-shielding additives.

• Aeronautic cockpit ceiling panel — recycled carbon fibre organosheet combined with Bio-PA overmoulding, replacing conventional phenolic-resin panels.

• Bus roof pultrusion profile — recycled carbon fibre yarn combined with Bio-PA in a continuous thermoplastic pultrusion process.

The project also validated three bio-based resin systems at pilot scale: bioacrylic, biobenzoxazine and biopolyamide 6.

Closing the loop on carbon fibre

FOREST also focused on carbon fibre waste, targeting the recovery of up to 100% of carbon fibre waste and its conversion into semi-finished materials for new applications.

Testing showed that properly recovered fibres can retain a high proportion of their original mechanical performance — an important step towards more circular composite value chains.

The results coincide with European Mobility Week, 16–22 September, highlighting the potential of lightweight and circular composite materials to reduce energy demand and transport-related emissions.

FOREST concludes with validated demonstrators showing that lighter, circular and bio-based composite solutions are moving closer to industrial application.

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