Composites Technology

Our next generation of materials will need to be more recyclable, more sustainable and maintain the superior performance we expect from modern materials. This is a particular challenge for plastics, which have become essential in our modern goods but sourced primarily from petrochemicals. Using these plastics in combination with natural materials is a viable short term approach to improved sustainability.

AFI has exclusively secured Australian composites technology from a $2.5 million development program, giving superior performance for plastics reinforced with hemp fibres. An advance on current generation Wood Plastic Composite (WPC) and Natural Fibre Composite (NFC), longer length hemp fibres are used to simultaneously provide superior stiffness and strength.

The construction and building industry will be able to utilise new, high-strength wood replacement materials, with consistently high quality and performance, moulded to shape and enabling new design approaches. AFI anticipates this new generation technology will enable existing multi-billion dollar industries in WPC and NFC to extend into new, more demanding applications.

The automotive industry will also benefit from increased sustainability while maintaining recyclability. More importantly, the technology enables the simultaneous increase in stiffness and strength of plastics, allowing manufacturers to reduce vehicle weight without sacrificing performance.

AFI is actively seeking co-development partners for this exciting new technology, to enable focused sustainable material development for multiple industries and to provide the next generation of materials for industry.