Investigating the suitability of hemp as a textile reinforcement in skis.
As part of this research area the substitution of fossil and mineral reinforcing fibres such as glass, basalt and carbon with plant fibres such as hemp and flax, as well as the increase of the plant content in the matrix, will be addressed. In the case of plant-based fibre reinforcement (long and short fibres, regenerated fibres), various semi-finished product characters (non-woven, woven, UD fabrics) are tested for their possible applications in combination with industrial production technologies (pultrusion, winding technique, hot pressing, pre-preg). In the area of matrix development for composite materials, plant-based thermosets based on vegetable oils such as linseed oil, but also possibilities with alternative, grown binders, e.g. based on plant or bacterial cellulose and mycelia, are being investigated.