BÜFA Thermoplastic Composites offers B-PREG natural fiber-based semi-finished products
Portfolio expanded to include flax fiber/polypropylene UD prepreg tapes, woven prepregs and flax fabrics.
Reducing environmental impact is increasingly gaining importance for companies worldwide. As a result, the demand for natural fibers in composites is growing. As a supplier of raw materials and semi-finished products for the production of lightweight thermoplastic components, BÜFA Thermoplastic Composites (Oldenburg, Germany) has recognized this trend. To meet this increasing demand sustainable materials, BÜFA Thermoplastic Composites will cooperate with B-PREG (Izmir, Turkey), a supplier of natural fiber-based composites, to offer unidirectional (UD) prepregs tapes, woven prepregs and woven dry fabrics made using flax fiber and polypropylene polymer.
“B-PREG textile-based, semi-finished products are thermoplastic sheets reinforced with aligned natural fibers,” explains Dirk Punke, managing director of BÜFA Thermoplastic Composites. “They combine the advantages of recyclability and moldability of thermoplastics with carbon-neutral, bio-based reinforcement. The potential waste savings in production will reduce the pollution on the environment. There are also solutions with biodegradable thermoplastics for applications that should go beyond recyclability.”
The UD prepregs, tapes and fabrics can be processed by tape laying, thermoforming, vacuum forming, press forming and injection molding (back injection as well as overmolding). This leads to short cycle times with a high design flexibility for bio-based composite solutions. For example, these materials are used in interior design for wall panels, cabins, designer and luxury furniture and aircraft interiors by the application of specific fiber orientations and ply thicknesses.
The team at B-PREG Composites specializes in industrial offerings for natural fiber-based lightweight technologies. Due to their focus on sustainability, the company aligns well with the philosophy of BÜFA Thermoplastic Composites. “It’s not just a supplier’s product that matters for us, but the positive attitude of the company,” says Punke. He notes that B-PREG Composites ideally complements the product and supplier portfolio of BÜFA Thermoplastic Composites, enabling new developments and possible collaborations with other partners for increased sustainability.
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