The BAMCO collaborative project (see our article) has achieved very positive results. Following on from this success, a new entity was formed, called BAMCO-2. The aim of this project is to accelerate the market penetration of 100% bio-based thermoplastic and thermoset composites with bamboo reinforcements.

Cobratex is one of five partners in the consortium:

• ARKEMA, a major industrial group, which will manage the project
• MECANO-ID, an SME with expertise in the space sector
• Two renowned laboratories, CIRIMAT from Paul Sabatier Toulouse III University and COMPOSITADOUR.

BAMCO-2 (BAmboo reinforced biobased Matrix COmposites 2) was born out of the call for projects “Bio-based products and industrial biotechnologies”, which attracted the full attention of the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME), followed by their technical and financial experts in charge of examining the application.

After a few months spent building up the project, followed by a number of adjustments, BAMCO-2 was selected and then thoroughly assessed, with particular emphasis on issues such as :

• The credibility of the technical objectives and their relevance to market expectations.
• The strategy of each of the consortium members and their complementarity.
• The economic consequences of the project.
• Its real impact on the environment.
• The credibility of the partners in relation to the needs and objectives of BAMCO-2.

We are delighted to see that the initial project (BAMCO) has given rise to a greater collaboration to provide solutions to the current environmental challenges facing industry. This 3.9M€ project will enable a wide range of developments to be carried out, also taking into account regulatory constraints that can sometimes be blocking for bio-based materials. A number of breakthrough innovations will be developed, in terms of constituents, reinforcements and matrices, interfaces and implementation processes:

• ARKEMA will undertake a key stage in the development of one of their patented innovations applied to their 100% bio-based thermoplastic polymer matrix: Rilsan® PA11 derived from castor oil. This development will particularly improve the fire-resistant performance of this unique matrix.

• COBRATEX will pursue its first industrialisation phase. Existing machines will be brought in line and processes automated. The range of reinforcements will also be extended and their production consolidated with several industrial partners.

• CIRIMAT will focus on the interface of different configurations: several bamboo reinforcements with bio-based thermoplastic and thermoset matrices to improve composite performance.

• COMPOSITADOUR will contribute with its expertise in the pre-impregnation of reinforcements and the optimisation of thermoplastic composites.

• MECANO-ID will bring its know-how, especially for optimising thermoset composite processing, along with developments and characterisations in terms of vibration and structural properties.

BAMCO-2 is unique in that it relies on an Advisory Board composed of several industrial companies and a technical centre. The members of the Advisory Board come from a wide range of industries, including space, aeronautics, the rail and automotive sectors.

The entire Cobratex team would like to thank all the partners and contributors involved in this project, who are actively participating in the industrial launch of our company.

This project was funded by the French State as part of France 2030 operated by ADEME