Flipts & Dobbels develops sustainable composites

Flipts & Dobbels, a member of The Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp, plays a pivotal role in advancing sustainable composite materials through its participation in the VIBES initiative. By supplying its FLAXCO flax reinforcements, Flipts & Dobbels contributed to a significant milestone within the project: the successful creation of a carbon and natural fiber panel using a bisphenol-free epoxy resin via resin infusion techniques. This development highlights the potential for sustainable, high-performance composites.

For over four years, Flipts & Dobbels has been instrumental in advancing bio-based composites, collaborating with the VIBES project to leverage recyclable epoxy resins, lignin-based carbon fibers, and natural flax reinforcements. These materials align with the initiative’s goal of reducing environmental impact while maintaining the high standards needed in performance applications.

The involvement of manufacturing specialists, like Juno Composites, focused on innovations such as the effects of moisture content in natural flax textiles on mechanical performance, underscoring the importance of technical expertise in flax reinforcements.

Caroline Flippts, representing the company, emphasized that to maximize the performance of flax fibers in composite applications, the entire flax production process must be optimized. With a century of experience, Flipts & Dobbels is proud to support the progress made by the VIBES project in promoting greener solutions.