Course description
With the increased efforts on reducing the greenhouse gas emissions from manufacturing industries, there is a drive to use renewable and recyclable materials for composites manufacturing, especially in the automotive, aerospace and renewable energy industries.
This course will cover how sustainable polymer and natural fibres based textiles can be used to make strong renewable composites for the automotive and building construction industries. We will also cover recycling of carbon/glass fibre composites for sustainable composites and life cycle analysis of conventional glass/carbon fibre composites.
Cranfield University Composites Centre (Enhanced Composites and Structures Centre) has more than 20 years of experience of research, development and teaching across composites materials, composites manufacture, process control and material/structure performance. The centre currently delivers to an international audience of postgraduate students and industrial clients (Airbus, AkzoNobel, Bentley, Bombardier, Hexcel, McLaren, Rolls-Royce, Safran, Scott Bader, RedBull, Petronas, etc). The centre has unique materials processing, compounding, filament making, nanomaterials production and composites characterisation facilities. We are able to deliver bespoke training courses covering a broad range of composites related topics, via online or in-person attendance.
Upcoming start dates
Suitability - Who should attend?
The course is suitable for applicants registered for a degree in engineering and materials science (or equivalent), as well as the industrial sector and academic research community involved in composites manufacturing
Outcome / Qualification etc.
What you will learn
You will acquire a fundamental understanding of renewable polymer resins, strong natural fibres and regenerated fibres. You will also learn about recycling methods for glass/carbon fibre composites and life cycle analysis.
Training Course Content
Core content
- Rationale for use of sustainable composites – the environmental impact of use on non-renewable composites.
- Fibres and resins: origins and mechanical properties.
- Manufacturing challenges: surface modification of natural fibres; design guidelines and case studies; general manufacturing processes for sustainable fibre reinforced composites.
- Composite manufacture: using strong regenerated/reconstituted cellulose/biomass; sandwich panels production from bio-composites for industrial use.
- Overview and understanding of flammability of bio/sustainable composites.
- Natural materials based flame retardants
- Replacement of synthetic/halogenated flame retardant with natural flame retardants (Bolton Fire Research Group contribution)
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Cranfield University
Cranfield is a specialist postgraduate university that is a global leader for education and transformational research in technology and management. We have many world-class, large-scale facilities, including our own global research airport, which offers a unique environment for transformational education...