{"id":50124,"date":"2025-04-20T14:42:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-20T12:42:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.axfoundation.se\/?p=50124"},"modified":"2025-12-15T08:12:04","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T07:12:04","slug":"research-on-bio-based-plastics-fibre-is-creating-the-materials-of-the-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.axfoundation.se\/en\/news\/research-on-bio-based-plastics-fibre-is-creating-the-materials-of-the-future","title":{"rendered":"Research on bio-based plastics \u2013 FibRe is creating the materials of the future"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \"FibRe\n

FibRe is a Vinnova funded research collaboration, aiming to develop the next generation of bio-based plastics.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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FibRe<\/a> is a research consortium between academia, industry and the public sector. Since the beginning of 2025, Axfoundation is one of the partners. The goal is to develop a material that performs just like today\u2019s problematic plastics \u2013 but is made from local biomass and is biodegradable.<\/strong><\/p>\n

World-leading research is underway at Chalmers University of Technology and KTH Royal Institute of Technology, in collaboration with industrial partners. Axfoundation serves as a bridge between academia and industry and advocates for the use of inputs like algae and hemp in the research process.<\/p>\n

FibRe was launched in 2020 as a research consortium funded by Vinnova, with the vision \u201cto enable the transition from fossil- to bio-based thermoplastics that are produced in a sustainable and circular manner\u201d. At the start of 2025, the center entered its second five-year phase, welcoming new partners \u2013 including Axfoundation.<\/p>\n

The challenge researchers in FibRe are working to crack is how to make lignocellulose thermoformable \u2013 that is, how to use the plant\u2019s own molecules and fibers and, with minimal modification, shape them into desired materials using heat and pressure. The goal is to develop materials with the same properties as today\u2019s plastics, while also being biodegradable and suitable for material recycling.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Lignocellulose<\/h2>\n
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Lignocellulose is a material found in the cell walls of plants \u2013 it\u2019s what gives plants their strength and structure.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s made up of three main components:<\/p>\n