JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #56 - April 2010 - 9

COMPANIES

A pole of reference for the development of technical flax
In a context where the environment and sustainable development are all the rage, it is the raw materials that offer natural benefits that stand every chance of making headway. FiMaLin was born out of the concerted efforts of manufacturers to promote the French flax sector. Mr. Guy Dehondt, Chairman of the Association, tells us more.
members: Terre de Lin, Institut Technique du Lin, Groupe Dehondt, Arkema, Clextral and Dedienne Multiplasturgy Group. The purpose of Fimalin is to create, structure and promote a dedicated technical flax industry that will make flax the number three reinforcement fibre alongside glass and carbon fibre. The ultimate goal is to mass-produce a new generation of eco-materials for composite applications. The notions generally associated with natural plant materials are the reproducibility of their intrinsic qualities and the reliability of supply. Fimalin, representative of the value chain both upstream (seeds) and downstream (semi-finished products), meets the needs of manufacturers by securing the entire value chain, from seeds through to the production of

AN INTERVIEW WITH GUY DEHONDT, PRESIDENT, FIMALIN

JEC Composites Magazine: Why was FiMaLin formed? Weren’t there already any existing structures to which you could have contributed? GUY DEHONDT: Since 2003, Groupe Dehondt has been working on the development of an engineered flax material, targeting the composites market. There was no specific structure that could cater to this ambition. After six years of effort and cooperation between universities and industry, Fimalin was born out of this industrial drive to create a dedicated, collaborative and pioneering technical flax sector with the following founder

semi-finished products for end-user sectors such as railways, automotive, aerospace, sports and leisure, renewable energy, etc. The creation of this new agroindustrial (non-food) branch of industry is the perfect showcase for a new type of flax, branded Lin Technic®.

Focus: About FiMaLin
Created in March 2009, the Association comprises the companies Dehondt Groupe®, Arkema, Clextral, Dedienne Multiplasturgy® Group and Terre de Lin, as well as the Institut technique du lin (Technical Flax Institute). The association has set itself the following objectives and missions: - to provide creative input vis-à-vis the public authorities in - to be a pole of reference for the development terms of development strategy, action programmes and of technical flax; changes to the regulations or standards; - to promote the establishment of a development platform - to encourage the manufacture of eco-design products, bringing together all those concerned: major manufacturers mainly using plant-based materials, without negatively and innovative SMEs, both producers and users; research impacting the food industry and while respecting the centres and technical institutes; educational establishments; imperatives of sustainable development; - to identify market needs and consolidate R&D projects and - to promote this group structure and build on the sector's initiatives around a value chain covering every stage of the appeal. production channel from the applications right down to the sowing of seeds;

No56 April 2010 / jec composites magazine

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JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #56 - April 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #56 - April 2010
