In Germany, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability (LBF) have figured out how to make natural-fiber reinforced plastics (NFRPs) more water resistant, opening up applications as a replacement for carbon- and glass fiber-reinforced plastics.
In partnership with the Institute for Textile Technology, the Fraunhofer Institute penetrated flax fibers with monomers, then let polymerization take place inside the fibers. NFRPs have so far been used mainly in interior linings of car doors.
The work was supported financially by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and won the DNFI Innovation in Natural Fibers Award 2017.