Dr Begoña Galindo, Sustainable and Future Mobility Group Leader and Co-ordinator of the Excellence Science Group at AIMPLAS, discusses her expertise and role in the AIMPLAS-led VETERIA21 Project.
How is your expertise helping drive the mobility sector towards greener materials and therefore greener vehicles?
AIMPLAS
Dr Begoña Galindo
Dr Begoña Galindo
One of the main current social challenges related to global warming is the reduction of emissions and polluting gases related to transport. Polluting gas emissions can be reduced by optimising the fuel consumption of combustion vehicles and increasing the use of electric vehicles. From the manufacturing point of view, modifications can be made considering material selection. Materials have a direct impact on fuel consumption and battery distance range. The two main research lines are Sustainable Materials and Lightweight Structures.
Is it surprising that the transport industry has taken this long to replace metal components with lightweight thermoset composites?
No, it is not. Decreasing the vehicle weight by 10 per cent will reduce 6-7% gas emissions in combustion vehicles. In electric vehicles, a weight reduction strongly increases the battery distance range. Composites can decrease weight by 50-70% compared to metal. Nevertheless, it must be pointed out that, to achieve high reduction, a redesign of the metal part must be implemented.
Traditionally, thermoset composites were proposed as an alternative, but their low production rate and mechanical recyclability promoted the development of greener solutions. Thermoplastic composites are presented as an industrial alternative to thermoset composites due to their reduced weight, high mechanical resistance with no loss of ductility, adaptability to different manufacturing processes and short manufacturing cycle times, and their abililty to form hybrid materials, as well as their circularity and reduced waste.
Which industry and academic players are collaborating with AIMPLAS in the VETERIA21 Project, and what are its targets?
VETERIA21 is a project carried out by AIMPLAS and funded by the Valencian Regional Government aiming to increase the knowledge on lightweight material development and processing. AIMPLAS is designing and optimising a UD-tapes and LFT pellets processing line to introduce new functionalities in the final material. The case study is focused on LI battery cases. Therefore, the material requirements include EMI shielding and fire-retardant properties. Matrix materials explored are polyamides, recycled polyethylene terephthalate and polypropylene. The project received support letters from Faurecia, ITERA Engineering and Industrias Alegre.
How can inclusivity in industrial research help generate further innovations? Particularly from women?
Industry must be aware of the importance of their research activities to increase their competitiveness. Usually, research is market-driven. There is a social or industrial need, and the scientific community looks for solutions. Research from academia needs the collaboration of industry to increase the maturity of a technology. Industrial research involvement at low TRL steps increases the research effectiveness by setting the technical and economic specifications. Nevertheless, sometimes it’s the basic research that discovers new solutions, which can create new business models. Anyway, industrial research is key to upscaling the results to industry and, as a result, to society.
Fortunately, research lines carried out by many companies and research centres are gender independent. Monitoring the progress toward gender equality in science has become a well-established activity of the European Union research policy (Directive 2002/73/EC), which focuses on the implementation of the principle of equal treatment for men and women.
In which other sectors can your expertise be applied in order to drive further sustainability and innovation?
Lightweight materials are needed in many mobility sectors due to the electrification of transport. Aeronautics, naval, railway, defence and space are also interested in these developments. Moreover, construction and energy are two other markets to be explored. Reinforced thermoplastic pipers for CO2 transport, pultruded thermoplastic profiles, hydrogen tanks reinforcement is some of the areas where AIMPLAS is applying the VETERIA21-developed technology.