JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #146 - June/July 2022 - 52

FEATURE
New bio-based composite successfully used
SMC/BMC
The GMC® (Green Moulding Compound) composite material offers both
dr. mattEo rossini, CEO
Hikari
FranCEsCo molliCa,
PhD, associate professor, DE, Engineering Department
ValEntina mazzanti,
PhD, assistant professor, DE, Engineering Department
giulia ronConi,
PhD, student, DE, Engineering Department
Ferrara University
T
he fi elds of application for composite
materials were traditionally limited to
light transport or sporting goods, but
this is no longer the case today. In fact, composites
are gaining more and more market
share in diff erent sectors. Th is is clearly due
to their specifi c properties, such as their light
weight combined with excellent mechanical
properties. On the other hand, some of their
characteristics are limiting their widespread
use, and their low eco-sustainability is certainly
what will most infl uence their future
use. Th is low eco-sustainability is mainly due
to the resins used as a matrix, which are usually
thermosett ing polymers, and as such are
more diffi cult to reuse and dispose of. Clearly,
thermoplastic-matrix composites can be
a viable solution to this problem, but the
typically high viscosity of thermoplastic polymers
is still a major drawback for successful
fi bre impregnation.
A new bio-based compound
To address this problem, Hikari, an innovative
start-up based in Briosco (MB), Italy,
together with the Polymers and Composites
Laboratory of the Engineering Department
of the University of Ferrara, Italy, studied
a new composite material called Green
Moulding Compound or GMC® (see Figure
1). Th is material is similar to a standard
sheet moulding compound (SMC) or bulk
moulding compound (BMC), but the traditional
components were replaced by more
environment-friendly solutions. First, the
glass fi bres were replaced by natural fi bres.
In the case in question, these are fl ax fi bres
that are obviously of plant origin. Secondly,
the resin used to impregnate the fl ax fi bres
is a polyester resin with a substantial natural
content, i.e. a material in which about 50% by
weight also comes from renewable resources.
Finally, the mineral fi ller was replaced by
food processing waste.
Th e fi nal result is a material that can be combined
with a standard SMC or BMC and, for
example, processed using a common compression
moulding process, but its eco-sustainable
content is considerably higher than
traditional solutions, as shown by the carbon
footprint analysis.
Fig. 1: The Green Moulding Compound (GMC®
52
) produced by Ranger Compositi s.r.l.
jec composites magazine / N°
146 June - July 2022
Application
Hikari uses this material to produce the
Hedera domestic vertical garden system
(see Figure 2). For this project, it was extremely
important to fi nd a satisfactory
compromise between a low environmental
impact and adequate mechanical properties.
To meet Hedera's structural requirements,
it was necessary to guarantee adequate
resistance since the object is fi xed to
a frame and must be self-supporting. At the
same time, the system's very nature required
a material with a low carbon footprint, and
this required a considerable reduction in the
use of glass fi bres as a reinforcement in the
formulation.
eco-sustainability and good mechanical properties. Extensive testing
made it possible to develop a solution for the Hedera domestic vertical
garden system.
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #146 - June/July 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #146 - June/July 2022
