![\"Natural](\"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/media\/2023\/04\/0423-cw-feature-opening-web-idea1.png\")
Despite the sustainability appeal of a plant-based, renewable alternative to carbon or glass fiber, commercial adoption of natural fibers in composites has been relatively slow, due to industry challenges such as limited supply, variable fiber quality, limited mechanical performance in finished parts, differences in manufacturability and, depending on the material, higher material costs compared to fiberglass.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, progress is being made and the landscape has changed much over the past decade, especially in the area of flax fiber composites. According to Laurent Cazenave, communications officer at flax farming cooperative Terre de Lin (Saint-Pierre-le-Viger, France), \u201cTen years ago, flax was not widely used in industrial applications, [though] university studies highlighted the advantages of flax fiber, notably low density contributing to lightweight composite parts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stemming from years of university and industry research, the first major use cases were sustainability-minded sporting goods manufacturers of products like tennis rackets and skis. Over time, various \u201cplayers, projects and industrial successes have gradually given [NFCs] visibility and credibility,\u201d Cazenave says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2013<\/a>, CW <\/em>reported that biocomposites \u2014 both natural fibers and bio-based resins \u2014 were beginning to reach a level of commercialization and competitiveness with more traditional synthetic fiber products. At the time, cellulose fiber, which is processed from plant-derived pulp into uniform fibers, appeared to be the top contender in the natural fibers space. By CW<\/em>\u2019s 2016 feature on the same topic<\/a>, improvements in performance and increased processing options had enabled flax fiber to rise as the natural fiber of choice for sporting goods applications and some automotive parts, with research in bamboo fibers showing promise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Over the past two or three years, sustainability has become increasingly\ufeff important. Once a niche interest, sustainability focused on emissions reduction is now being driven by standards. Governments, regulatory organizations, OEMs and consumers are demanding materials and process solutions that favor decarbonization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One example related to materials is the EU\u2019s 2022 European Green Deal which proposed several strategies<\/a> that mandate EU-manufactured products ranging from construction materials to textiles be made from sustainable, recyclable or recycled materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This push for sustainability solutions, alongside supply chain and technical advancements in natural fiber materials, and processes to manufacture them into composites, are fueling R&D and commercial growth into new markets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What does today\u2019s NFC market look like? The Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp (Paris, France) tracks data on flax and hemp supply, demand and applications from its member suppliers across Europe. Chantal Malingrey, director of marketing and communication, says that flax fibers are the most used natural fibers in composites today, though composites are still the smallest end market for these fibers overall, compared to the much more established fashion and textile industries. \u201cIn broad terms, we typically say the breakdown is 60% for fashion textiles, 30% for furniture textiles and 10% for technical applications, which includes composites.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, Malingrey says that demand for natural fibers has been \u201cincreasing strongly since 2020. Whereas a few years ago, natural fibers were more of an R&D exercise, now we see fully developed products entering the market.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n These materials are growing in appeal not just because they come from a renewable source, but because of technical advantages in composites like lightweighting and vibration and noise damping, as well as aesthetic appeal. Vibration and noise damping specifically are broadening the appeal of NFCs in applications like automotive interior components, explains Nicolas Juillard, VP of technology and development at materials supplier Texonic Inc.<\/a> (Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada). Texonic, which is part of the Textile Monterey Group (Drummondville, Quebec, Canada), has been working on optimizing natural fibers for use in composites at the R&D level with various partners since 2012, launching its first flax fiber fabric line in 2017. <\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Juillard, Texonic continues to be involved in R&D work to develop and optimize additional materials for use in NFCs \u2014 with a large focus on hemp fiber as well, which is also continuing to grow in supply and usage. As he explains it, one of the largest factors in choosing natural fiber materials is not necessarily the properties of one type of fiber over another, but localization of the supply. Currently, due in large part to climate, flax is produced<\/em> most widely in Europe, while the market<\/em> for hemp agriculture grows in North America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTechnically, if you look at the literature, one type of [natural fiber] may have more resistance and one has higher modulus, but right now, talking about the differences isn\u2019t the right approach, because none of them are totally optimized for use in composites,\u201d Juillard says. \u201cWe have some good products now, but there\u2019s still a lot of work to do. Choosing one over the other isn\u2019t about processing or properties. It\u2019s about supply chain, and which material you can get at which cost.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, numerous suppliers have natural fiber materials marketed for composites use. Bcomp Ltd.<\/a> (Fribourg, Switzerland) launched its first two products in 2012. The company\u2019s powerRibs reinforcement grids and ampliTex dry fabrics and prepregs come in a range of compatibility options, including thermoplastics or thermoset resins, and processes including resin transfer molding (RTM), vacuum infusion, autoclave cure or compression molding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The increased interest in sustainability \u2014 and, importantly, the increase in high-quality flax and hemp fiber \u2014 has also led several mainstay suppliers of more traditional composite reinforcements, like fiberglass or carbon fiber, to begin offering natural fiber products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, longtime reinforcements and resins supplier Hexcel<\/a> (Stamford, Conn., U.S.) launched an NFC-specific, HexPly Nature Range in 2022<\/a>, which includes woven and stitched flax fiber reinforcements with HexPly M49, M79-LT and M79.1-LT epoxy resins containing partially bio-derived content. The partially bio-based resins can also be used with traditional fiberglass or carbon fiber reinforcements, as well, notes Achim Fischereder, industrial marketing director at Hexcel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fischereder adds, \u201cIncreased sustainability and enhanced health and safety are both areas where our input raw materials can have a major impact. As the bio-derived chemical raw materials industry has continued to develop, Hexcel has moved to partially replace petrochemical-based epoxy content with bio-derived alternatives. A key target for us was to make sure that the excellent resin characteristics remain unchanged in the new Nature Range products, maintaining high mechanical performance and consistent processing properties while giving customers a more sustainable material option.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Porcher Industries<\/a> (Eclose-Badini\u00e8res, France) and Saertex<\/a> (Saerbeck, Germany) have also announced NFC offerings, with flax fiber\/thermoplastic automotive-grade materials<\/a> (Porcher) and flax fiber noncrimp fabrics (NCF) for marine and leisure applications<\/a> (Saertex), each in partnership with flax supplier Terre de Lin. Terre de Lin, which claims to produce about 15% of the world\u2019s flax supply, manages all stages of flax production for its 700-member farms, from seeds, to processing of the harvested flax, to manufacture of fibers specific for composites and other markets. Over the past decade, recognizing the value for its flax fibers within the composites industry, Terre de Lin has worked to offer flax fibers \u201cadapted to the composites market,\u201d Cazenave says, including controlled quality and development of a versatile range of rovings compatible with composites processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A number of other companies have also entered this space, with the goal of making their specific end markets more sustainable. Lingrove<\/a> (San Francisco, Calif., U.S.) launched its flax fiber and plant-based resin composite material<\/a>, called ekoa, to replace wood in ukuleles and guitars<\/a> in 2013, followed by sporting goods in 2014. It then worked to commercialize and industrialize ekoa for automotive interiors and the furnishings\/interiors market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Joe Luttwak, CEO at Lingrove, explains that architects, designers and executives in the interiors industry, for residences and commercial spaces, are increasingly \u201clooking to decarbonize, and need high-performance products.\u201d The company supplies prefabricated panels and surface veneers designed to provide the look of luxury wood. Applications of ekoa veneers include wall and ceiling panels and cabinetry\/caseworks products, with flooring in development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lingrove has worked to develop ekoa for automotive interiors for years, and is now targeting structural applications in the construction industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also in the interiors space, Culture iN<\/a> (Montaigu-Vendee, France) was founded in 2014 with the goal of producing sustainably sourced and processed textiles for furniture and luggage applications. Company founder David Ambs \u201cwanted to change our living spaces\u201d to be more focused on \u201csensorial appeal [and] respect for health and the environment,\u201d explains Ronan Legrand, commercial director.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After several years of research, today the company\u2019s core product is called Varian, a patented \u201ccomposite thread\u201d that weaves together flax fibers and plant-based PLA resin; it\u2019s available in prepreg sheets or rolls. Made from materials sourced locally within France, Varian is customizable with choices of weave, finish and colors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Furthermore, beyond natural fiber fabrics and tapes, short natural fibers are being developed as additives for use in plastic parts. For example, in 2022, Heartland (Detroit, Mich., U.S.) launched Imperium<\/a>, its first hemp fiber additive product line. According to Jesse Henry, CEO and founder, the company began as a bio-based plastics company, but pivoted to hemp fiber additives in 2020<\/a>, aiming to support customers with cost-effective, carbon-negative additives for use in thermoplastics. Heartland sells Imperium in powder and masterbatch format for use in injection molding, compression molding, extrusion, thermoforming, and other types of plastic and rubber manufacturing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur materials replace and augment commonly used plastic additives like fiberglass, talc and calcium carbonate. Our LCA [lifecycle assessment] gives brands and suppliers a predictable path to reduce the carbon footprint of the plastic they use everyday just by changing the additive and reducing the amount of plastic required to create the same product,\u201d Henry says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The product was also developed to help solve compatibility challenges for compounders. Typically, \u201cNatural fibers don\u2019t mix well with petroleum-based plastics,\u201d Henry explains, but, \u201cImperium focuses on solving the bonding, dust, flammability, moisture and bulk density problems that plastic compounders face when working with natural fibers.\u201d Over the next two years, the company plans to scale up its current production to meet growing demand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The number of NFC materials available has grown in recent years, but Texonic\u2019s Juillard notes that one hurdle of NFC development continues to be limitations in processing compared to traditional fiber materials. Although natural fiber materials can be manufactured via a variety of processes, with common methods being prepreg layup\/autoclave cure, compression molding and RTM, unique challenges remain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One is that natural fibers absorb resin differently than other fiber types \u2014 \u201clike sponges,\u201d as Juillard describes. For this reason, he says a manufacturing process such as compression molding<\/a>, RTM<\/a> or other vacuum-assisted process that introduces pressure during consolidation is needed for optimum results. He adds, \u201cIf you try to do wet layup with no pressure, you won\u2019t be able to control the resin-to-fiber ratio [with NFCs].\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another challenge is sensitivity to temperature, especially as companies expand into new types of processing methods and resins. \u201cAt the same temperatures used to process carbon or glass fibers, natural fiber might start to char or decompose,\u201d explains Christopher Oberste, president and chief engineer of composite lattice manufacturer WEAV3D Inc.<\/a> (Norcross, Ga., U.S.).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oberste and WEAV3D are relatively new to working with NFCs. Originally, WEAV3D developed an automated weaving system<\/a> that manufactures tunable thermoplastic composite lattices that can be used to reinforce a variety of materials, from concrete to automotive panels. The company began with carbon and glass fiber lattices, and has in recent years expanded its R&D work to include natural fiber lattices, which are used to reinforce NFC panels for the automotive market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The automotive interiors industry already mass-produces compression-molded NFC panels for use in trunk floors and sidewalls, made primarily from hemp or jute in the form of nonwoven mats or long fibers. Typically, Oberste says, these panels are reinforced with injection overmolded glass fiber-reinforced ribs to add strength and stiffness where needed, but these ribs add unwanted weight and geometry to the panels. With an OEM partner, WEAV3D began an effort to replace these ribs with layers of carbon, glass or natural fiber thermoplastic composite lattices produced via WEAV3D\u2019s automated system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As WEAV3D worked in this area, it became clear that because thermoplastics are involved, the processing window was \u201cvery narrow,\u201d Oberste explains. The melt temperature of the polypropylene commonly used in the company\u2019s products is only 10 to 15\u00b0F lower than the top temperature the natural fibers can survive. The WEAV3D process is an adhesive-free technology that relies on heating the tape to the resin\u2019s melt temperature in order to bond it to the material the lattice is being made to reinforce. Therefore, \u201cthe amount of heat and how fast [the tape] moves through the heating zone have to be very carefully controlled, so that you don\u2019t have degradation of the fiber during processing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So far, despite these challenges, WEAV3D has seen positive results, showing that even a single, 0.3- to 0.5-millimeter lattice layer adds enough bending stiffness that the OEM could not only eliminate the ribbing but also make the overall panel thinner. WEAV3D demonstrated that it could produce a lattice-reinforced composite panel with the same mechanical properties as the original rib-reinforced panel, at about a 25% reduction in part mass. For added stiffness, additional layers can be added, and the tapes can be made from carbon, glass or natural fiber tapes as needed. WEAV3D continues to work with Tier 1 suppliers and OEMs on prototype panels and tests, aiming toward serial production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oberste notes that use of natural fiber tapes over the past year has been new for WEAV3D, involving a back-and-forth process with the tape supplier to optimize the materials and<\/em> the processing. \u201cThe behavior of the tape is different, and it handles differently,\u201d he explains. For example, natural fiber tapes are more prone to curling or twisting, but must consistently lie flat to go through the WEAV3D machine or other processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other composites processes are also being adapted for use with NFCs, such as filament winding<\/a>. For the past several years, the R&D branch of filament winding machinery supplier Autonational BV<\/a> (IJlst, Netherlands) has been working on filament winding, prepreg processing and related machinery specifically geared toward the different mechanical requirements of manufacturing natural fiber composites with bio-based resins, explains Harry Fietje, sales manager at Autonational. This work started with collaboration with a team at the University of Amsterdam (Netherlands), which had created a plant-derived epoxy and were looking for an industry partner to test the material in a real process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Backed by government funding, Autonational\u2019s R&D team began working with the university team and the resulting spin-off company Plantics (Arnhem, Netherlands), which now sells its resins commercially. Adapting its filament winding machinery for natural fibers and bio-based resins required about a year and a half of trial and error, Fietje says, requiring many adjustments to the temperature and processing conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What types of commercial applications are being manufactured with NFCs today? Many of the initial commercial NFC applications were sporting goods and furniture pieces, and these continue to be two leading market areas for the materials, but as raw material supply, natural fiber fabrics and processing technologies evolve, NFCs are increasingly used for applications in even higher-volume or higher-performance markets like automotive and even aerospace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As CW <\/em>reported in 2016<\/a>, early commercial adopters of NFCs included ski and snowboard manufacturers adopting Bcomp flax fiber\/epoxy materials, taking advantage of the lighter weight of flax fiber compared to fiberglass and the high vibration damping for a smoother ride. Today, Carlson reports that Bcomp still has a large share of business in sporting goods as well as motorsports applications. One recent example that CW <\/em>reported on is an award-winning motorbike brake disc cover made in part with Bcomp\u2019s flax fiber\/epoxy.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Further, Hexcel\u2019s Nature Range materials were first prototyped on Blizzard skis at the Tecnica Group Ski Excellence Center. \u201cWe expect that winter sports is going to grow into a key market for the Nature Range products, as it provides a challenging set of technical requirements, and successes there will really confirm that we\u2019ve delivered a more sustainable prepreg solution that maintains the performance of our previous products,\u201d notes Fischereder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Within the recreational market, NFCs have also found a home on recreational and racing boats and yachts, starting with a number of prototypes. As one example, the CrossCall<\/em> racing yacht, which won the Class40 World Championships in June 2022, was reported to be the first Class40 yacht to make significant use of flax fiber composites<\/a>. Infused, hybrid flax\/glass fabrics were used to manufacture the hull, cockpit and several other components of the boat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>Terre de Lin\u2019s Cazenave also notes that several of the company\u2019s partners have begun successfully replacing fiberglass with flax fiber composites in a variety of recreational and racing boats. One notable and large <\/em>example is the 9-meter-wide, 18-meter-long flax fiber composite deck for the We Explore<\/em> proof of concept catamaran, developed by Outremer shipyard, VPLP Design and Kairos Environnement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond high-performance marine and sports, the appealing sustainability aesthetic<\/em> of natural fibers lends these materials to decorative interior items and furniture, as Lingrove and Culture iN have discovered with their product lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, Autonational\u2019s first commercial filament winding line specifically for NFCs was developed for furniture manufacturer Vepa (Hoogeveen, Netherlands). The winder was first used to build prototypes of filament-wound table legs and chairs from flax fiber and bio-based epoxy, with the first commercial line delivered at the end of 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After several initial prototypes of table legs and chairs done at Autonational\u2019s R&D center, the commercial filament winding line was delivered to Vepa at the end of 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Companies are also using NFCs in exterior<\/em> applications in construction and infrastructure. The multinational design, engineering and architecture firm Arup (London, U.K.) won a JEC award in 2015 as part of the EU-funded BioBuild project, demonstrating a self-supporting facade system<\/a> comprising 4 \u00d7 2.3-meter flax fabric\/bio-resin panels. The NFC panels reportedly reduce the embodied energy in fa\u00e7ade systems by up to 50% compared to conventional construction materials with no increase in cost. More recently, Exel Composites (Vantaa, Finland) produced 6 kilometers of flax\/bioresin profiles<\/a> for a \u201cfauna passage\u201d viaduct in the Netherlands and three flax fiber\/bio-resin bridges will be completed by 2023 as part of the \u201cSmart Circular Bridge\u201d <\/a>project. Luttwak notes these exterior architecture applications are an end goal of Lingrove\u2019s. Autonational, too, has begun working on filament-wound NFC prototypes for outdoor structures like poles for road signs, with additional applications to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the latest, most ambitious exterior construction applications to date was announced in November 2022 by the University of Maine Advanced Structures and Composites Center (UMaine ASCC, Orono, Maine, U.S.), which fabricated a 600-square-foot, 3D-printed prototype house made entirely from bio-based resins reinforced with a locally sourced, wood-based fiber. Called BioHome3D, the prototype was developed with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and in partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory<\/a> (ORNL, Knoxville, Tenn., U.S.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n Over the past few years, a lot of attention has been paid to the emergence of NFCs in automotive components. This has included body panels and hoods for a variety of supercars and race cars, as well as interior applications for commercial vehicles<\/p>\n\n\n\n Notably, in 2022 BMW Group\u2019s investment arm iVentures acquired a stake in Bcomp<\/a>, signaling a commitment to commercial uses of sustainable materials. In June 2022, BMW unveiled a new M4 GT4 racecar<\/a> sporting Bcomp\u2019s flax fiber materials in several body components. The company announced at the time that the switch to NFCs reduced greenhouse gas emissions for the vehicle production by up to 85% for those components, while improving vibration damping performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAutomotive is picking up, as the release date of large-scale serial production cars is getting close \u2014 these are projects that we have worked on together with OEMs for several years and that are now finally about to hit the consumer market,\u201d Bcomp\u2019s Carlson says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to WEAV3D\u2019s Oberste, more sustainable, renewable and\/or recyclable materials within automotive designs is no longer a niche idea, and companies are willing to pay a bit more to be able to claim a certain percentage of natural fiber or other sustainable materials within a vehicle. \u201cThere are several different approaches the industry is taking to \u2018sustainable\u2019 content \u2014 natural fibers is one option within that,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oberste sees the prototyping work WEAV3D has done with lattice-reinforced NFC panels as the first step toward use of WEAV3D\u2019s lattices for automotive applications. \u201cThe OEMs [we\u2019ve worked with] are interested in the idea of whether [this technology] could strengthen the natural fiber panels to the point where other types of reinforcements in the assembly could be eliminated as well as the ribbing, such as brackets or stiffening plates, and therefore reducing weight and part count in the overall assembly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In automotive interiors, a variety of companies are beginning to get involved \u2014 and some have been in the space for many years. For example, global automotive supplier Faurecia (Nanterre, France), part of the Forvia Group, has been working on automotive interiors for decades and announced a number of new technologies in 2022<\/a>. The company aims to reduce the carbon footprint of its materials by 87% by 2030 across several of its divisions, with a focus on sustainable materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This includes the company\u2019s NAFILean products, a hemp fiber-based, injection-moldable material first launched in 2011 for components like instrument panels. The company also offers natural fiber-reinforced polypropylene (NFPP) products that can be compression molded and combined with other materials like recycled carbon fiber. New product lines and serial applications for NAFILean and NFPP are reported to be underway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also making recent headlines is Lingrove\u2019s ekoa product, enabling the color-changing, interactive doorspear component inside Hyundai\u2019s Palisade <\/em>concept vehicle<\/a>. Similarly, in 2022, Cobra Advanced Composites (CAC, Chonburi, Thailand) launched a line of exterior and interior finish components made from flax fiber prepregs<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even further, NFCs in the mobility space may some day soon take to the skies, transitioning into aircraft interiors applications. Aeroflax, an aerospace-grade flax fiber\/bio-based resin product developed by Lufthansa Technik (Hamburg, Germany) with Bcomp\u2019s ampliTex and powerRibs flax fiber reinforcements<\/a>, is said to be at technology readiness level (TRL) 5 or 6, with the potential to increase sustainability and reduce weight in aircraft ceiling panels, door frame linings and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The market for NFCs has come a long way in the past 10 years, but efforts continue to ready the natural fiber supply chain, materials and processes for more widespread adoption by manufacturers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bcomp\u2019s Carlson says, \u201cFor suppliers of natural fiber reinforcements, the market is relatively immature and developing as we speak. There are so many factors that must come together: Combining expertise in natural fibers with the industrial knowledge to scale, the technical knowledge to develop a high-performance product and the commercial capacity to take it to the market, and convincing markets with high inertia to change and high entry barriers to try something new.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Malingrey of the Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp agrees, noting that scientifically driven datasets on both the environmental and technical <\/em>advantages of flax and hemp fiber composites are needed to truly prove out their value in the market and allow for established guidelines on their use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Renewable](\"https:\/\/d2n4wb9orp1vta.cloudfront.net\/cms\/brand\/CW\/2023-CW\/0423-cw-feature-Bcomp-2-resize.jpg;maxWidth=385\")
Natural fiber composites landscape<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Bcomp](\"https:\/\/d2n4wb9orp1vta.cloudfront.net\/cms\/brand\/CW\/2023-CW\/0423-cw-feature-Bcomp-4-resize.jpg;maxWidth=385\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"Flax](\"https:\/\/d2n4wb9orp1vta.cloudfront.net\/cms\/brand\/CW\/2023-CW\/0423-cw-feature-Bcomp-3-resize.jpg;maxWidth=385\")
![\"Wood-like](\"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/media\/2023\/04\/Bildschirmfoto-2023-04-04-um-12.42.22.png\")
![\"culture](\"https:\/\/d2n4wb9orp1vta.cloudfront.net\/cms\/brand\/CW\/2023-CW\/0423-cw-feature-CultureIN-2.jpg;maxWidth=385\")
Solving processing challenges<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"WEAV3D](\"https:\/\/d2n4wb9orp1vta.cloudfront.net\/cms\/brand\/CW\/2023-CW\/0423-cw-feature-WEAV3D-1-resize.png;maxWidth=385\")
![\"Adding](\"https:\/\/d2n4wb9orp1vta.cloudfront.net\/cms\/brand\/CW\/2023-CW\/0423-cw-feature-naturalfibers-weav3d-final.png;maxWidth=720\")
![\"Filament](\"https:\/\/d2n4wb9orp1vta.cloudfront.net\/cms\/brand\/CW\/2023-CW\/0423-cw-feature-Autonational-2.jpg;maxWidth=385\")
<\/a>Growing into commercial applications: From skis to aircraft interiors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Starting](\"https:\/\/d2n4wb9orp1vta.cloudfront.net\/cms\/brand\/CW\/2023-CW\/0423-cw-feature-Bcomp-7-resize.jpg;maxWidth=385\")
<\/a>![\"Marine](\"https:\/\/d2n4wb9orp1vta.cloudfront.net\/cms\/brand\/CW\/2023-CW\/0423-cw-feature-Bcomp-8-resize.jpg;maxWidth=720\")
![\"From](\"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/media\/2023\/04\/Bildschirmfoto-2023-04-04-um-12.52.42.png\")
![\"3D](\"https:\/\/d2n4wb9orp1vta.cloudfront.net\/cms\/brand\/CW\/2022-CW\/1122-cw-news-UMAine-BioHome3D1.jpg;maxWidth=385\")
<\/a>Mobility: A natural, next-level fit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Automotive](\"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/media\/2023\/04\/Bildschirmfoto-2023-04-04-um-12.56.05.png\")
![\"Automotive](\"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/media\/2023\/04\/Bildschirmfoto-2023-04-04-um-12.57.42.png\")
Challenges and goals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Next](\"https:\/\/d2n4wb9orp1vta.cloudfront.net\/cms\/brand\/CW\/2023-CW\/0423-cw-feature-CultureIN-1-resize.jpg;maxWidth=720\")