The Portuguese institute Fibrenamics and the North American institute MIT will work together on two projects that aim to use fishing nets, algae, wood or hemp to create fibers for use in civil construction, healthcare and satellites.
The projects, with an execution period of two years, are financed by the MIT-Portugal program and respond to two challenges: Ensure the sustainable construction of houses, bridges or tunnels with natural fibers. that reduce carbon emissions and take advantage of marine resources and waste to obtain new fibers with various applications.
In statements to Lusa, the president of Fibrenamics – Institute for Innovation in Fibrous and Composite Materials, Raúl Fangueiro, said that one of the projects that will be developed with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) aims to “the use of marine waste with environmental impact”, such as fishing netsto obtain new fibers with various applications, from tennis rackets, helmets and bicycles to satellites.
Raúl Fangueiro added that Components can be extracted from algae to create fibers with antimicrobial or anti-inflammatory properties. with application, for example, in wound dressings or bandages.
A second project from Fibrenamics and MIT It is proposed to work on the structure and durability of natural fibers.such as those made of wood or hemp, as a “concrete reinforcing element” in civil construction, as an alternative to steel, which “has a strong environmental impact”, being responsible for “7% of global emissions” of carbon dioxide, according to the president of Fibrenamics.
The two projects are subsidized with more than half a million euros by the MIT-Portugal program, financed by the Foundation for Science and Technology, dependent on the Government.
The program aims “Develop collaborative research” between MIT and universities, research institutes, laboratories and national companies.in areas such as climate science and climate change, Earth observation, digital transformation in manufacturing, sustainable cities and data science.
The Institute of Innovation in Fibrous and Composite Materials, which has the University of Miño among its partners, is a technology and innovation center that studies solutions for architecture, construction, sports, medicine, protection and transportation.
Recently, as part of its internationalization to the United States, Fibrenamics established an alliance with the University of Massachusetts Lowell that will allow the exchange of researchers, sharing facilities and the development of projects, to be outlined, with a laboratory that provides “Solution Protection” for the North American Army.
Fibrenamics has already developed personal protective equipment for the Portuguese army.
Source: Observadora
