1. No category

Industrial Research and Development
at your service
Industrial product development, process and materials
development within textiles, polymers, ceramics and metals.
Erik Nilsson PhD
Senior researcher
[email protected]
Ownership of Swerea
Textiles and plastics
Erik Nilsson PhD
Senior researcher
R&D within the areas
•Biocomposites and biopolymers
•Recycling/re-use of plastics
•Fiber development
• Meltspinning
• Meltblown
• Solution spinning of biopolymers
• Material development -Compounding
• Incorporation of:
Cellulose, CB, CNT, Graphene, Flame retardant, Nanoclay.
•Testing and analysis
Biocomposites
Thermoplastic matrix
+ natural fibers
(e.g. chair and pallet in WPC)
Thermoplastic fibers
+ natural fibers
(e.g. automotive interior panel)
Equipment
• Compounding
• Injection moulding
• Carding
• Needling
• Compression mouldning
Coupling matrix to fiber
Polypropylen + glasfiber
WITHOUT Coupling agent
No natural coupling between fiber
and matrix.
I.E. polyolefins
Clariant, Additives for Natural Fiber Reinforced Plastics
Coupling agent improves mechanical
properties
Polypropylen + glasfiber
WITH coupling agent
DuPont, Coupling agents for WPC
Clariant, Additives for Natural Fiber Reinforced Plastics
Example polypropylen - wood
(Woodfiber Plastic Composite – WPC)
Textile recycling
• Mechanical recycling
• Yarns, fabrics
• Reinforcement in plastics
• Plastic for injection moulding
• Chemical depolymerization
• Polyester fibers
Comfort
• Mechanical comfort and transportation of
heat / moisture through different materials
• Pressure distribution
• Pressure sensors
• Tactile properties
• Thermal resistance
• TOG, skin model, thermal doll
• Breathability
• Skin model, ”sweating” indentor
Fiber development
Technologies:
– Solution (wet) spinning
• Cellulose, biopolymers – textile fibers
– Melt spinning
• Temperature regulating fibers – for use
in clothing
• Conductive fibers – for smart textiles,
heating textiles
• Piezoelectric fibers – for sensors
– Melt /Solution blown
• Synthetic and biopolymers – for nonwowens
Patent: WO 2009 031946
Inventor: Hagström et al.
A conductive filler added to a polymer will form a
conductive percolating network
Conductive filler
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100 nm
Carbon black (CB)
Graphite nano platelet (GNP)
Matrix material
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Polypropylene (PP)
High density polyethylene (HDPE)
Dispersion and percolation
Conductivity (log scale)
% Conductive filler
Electrical percolation behaviour
High structured carbon black
Structure
Low structure CB
Particle size
Low structured carbon black
Structure
Particle size
Demostrator – Heating textile
48 V
• 40 x 25 cm woven fabric with bi
component fibres 1.5 S/cm
• DC 48 V => ~28-30 °C
• DC 80 V => ~35-40 °C
80 V
Coated piezoelectric yarn embroidered into a
knitted glove
Bending the index finger
Tapping the thumb
Clenching the fist
Meltblown nonwoven
Applications
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Low viscosity polymer PP MFI 700 to1500
Fiber diameter down 1 µm
2-150 gram per sq m
High surface area
Hygiene products
Air filter media
Health care
Clinical
Sound absorbents
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Geotextiles
Insulation
Furniture
Garments
Unexplored fields!
Textile fibers from wood
as alternatives to cotton
Large volumes. The global fiber consumption
within the textile industry is 80 million tons.
Other annual plant fibers
Dissolving pulp (like
viscose, lyocell)
corresponding to about
4 million tons (global
annual production of
pulp is about
180million tons)
Synthetic fibers
Large potential. With a volume of 700 billion
tons, cellulose is the earths most abundant,
natural organic chemical. Of the 40 billion tons
cellulose that the environment renew every
year, only 0.18 billion tons are used as raw
material for further use.
Cotton
Cotton cannot meet the demand
Competition for cultivated land
used for food, animal feed and
biofuels
Poor working conditions
Major environmental concerns,
such as water scarcity, high use
of fertilizer and hazardous
pesticides, habitat loss and soil
degradation
There is an emerging interest in forest-based
textile fibers; why?
Bioeconomy
– Identified societal challenge in Horizon 2020
From wood to fabric
Liberation and purification of cellulose fiber
Dissolution, shaping and regeneration of
cellulose into continuous or staple fiber
Spinning of yarn
Weaving/knitting
Solution spinning of biopolymers
Wet spinning
• Several flexible spinning lines
• Equipment to dissolve polymers in different scales
• Experience from using a wide range of cellulose
solvents
• Competence in cellulose chemistry.
Applications
• Textile fiber with cotton-like comfort
• High tenacity fibers
• Nonwoven
• Carbon fiber precursor
• Functionalized fibers
Testbed – recycling plastic materials
”A platform for developing, testing, verification and
demonstration of products, services, processes or
organizational solutions aimed to increase materials
recycling of plastics.”
Status
• Vinnova funded project.
Partners
•
Ineos, Borealis, Volvo Cars,
Trioplast, Stena Metall,
Electrolux, Ragnsells, OFK,
Rapid Granulator, Renova,
Plastal, Dupont.
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Chalmers, IKEM
• Material recycling/re-use.
• case studies, industrial partners.
• Network activities.
• Started early 2015.
• Coordinated by Swerea IVF, Martin Strååt
Swerea IVF is an independent
research institute. We stand for
confidentiality, objectivity and
professionalism.
Technical textiles
Technical areas
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Compression molded textiles/fibres
Coating/adhesion/surface modifiction
High performance fibers
Application areas:
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Furnitures
Protective clothing
(UHP-Ultra High Pressure, fishery…)
Automotive interior
Climate protection in greenhouse
Fire-protection wear
Filter media
Screen walls by Abstracta. Wall decorations
by Offecct. Chair by Gubi. Manufacturer
NORDIFA AB