Skip to main content
Logo der Europäischen Kommission
Geschäftswelt, Wirtschaft, Euro
Binnenmarkt, Industrie, Unternehmertum und KMU

OLAF

Low-cost environmentally friendly APGD treatment of carbon fibre woven fabrics to improve their performance in continuous carbon fibre reinforced polyamide composites

Sectors covered
Technology innovation in textile & clothing
Innovation priority
Smart, high-performance materials

Introduction 

The OLAF project is implemented by a textile engineering company, TEXFIRE and the LEITAT Technological Centre. Both partners are involved in demonstration activities focused on pilot surface treatment of carbon fabrics using low-cost and environmentally friendly atmospheric pressure glow discharge (APGD) technology to improve the mechanical properties of carbon fibre-reinforced thermoplastic composites (CFRTC).

Objective 

Our main objectives are:

  • To optimise and reproduce APGD surface treatments of continuous carbon fibre-woven fabrics at technically feasible processing speeds and discharge power levels;
  • To improve flexural strength and flexural modulus for PA6/carbon fibre-reinforced composite (CRFC) laminates without significant modification of their elongation at break (EN ISO 14125);
  • Assessment and validation of real applications with pilot customers requiring high mechanical performance and environmentally friendly and low-cost solutions;
  • Re-assessment of the competitive landscape and finding/scouting of new key partners and potential customers;
  • Definition of a business strategy through close collaboration between the partners TEXFIRE and LEITAT;
  • Launch of the certification process for target markets (e.g. IATF 16949 for automotive, AS9100D for aerospace, SGS for sporting goods);

Outcome of ELIIT project support

Impact (to date)

The initial impact of the support action within TEXFIRE has been positive. We are acquiring a better knowledge of our products and starting the technological transfer of plasma technology in collaboration with LEITAT. As the OLAF project is only in the initial phase, we have not yet seen a notable improvement in our market position. However, as a result of the project, we expect to expand our product development into industrial sectors such as sporting goods, automotive and/or aerospace in the coming years.

Partners

SME: TEXFIRE

Country: Spain
Year of creation: 1998
More information: company website, LinkedIn

Technical provider: LEITAT

Country: Spain
Year of creation: 1906
More information: company website, LinkedIn