FBK has been working for more than a decade on the development of technical textiles, using innovative nonwoven manufacturing technologies to create novel technical textiles based on nature‑derived fibres. To advance the regional utilisation of resources derived from agricultural products, waste streams, and by‑products, we apply our extensive expertise to developing new materials and applications from these resources. Through this work, we make a significant contribution to the use of renewable raw materials, with a strong focus on regionally available resources. The developed products are used for thermal and acoustic insulation materials, for rigid construction elements in the mobility sector, as plastic substitutes in the packaging industry, and in various types of structural components. A particular focus is on replacing synthetic fibre based products in order to reduce the use of fossil raw materials.
Our materials science expertise in processing high‑performance staple fibres—particularly recycled carbon fibres (rCF), recycled glass fibres (rGF), and stone wool—is based on an innovative technology that enables the gentle and homogeneous formation of nonwoven structures from these otherwise difficult‑to‑process fibres. The manufacturing process relies on an energy‑efficient air‑lay fibre‑forming technology.
We transfer the specific properties of high-performance fibres into a wide range of demanding applications from heat resistant insulation materials to composite semi‑finished products and thermoformable nonwoven structures for lightweight construction.