Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Circular Plastics Economy CCPESports equipment with minimized CO₂ footprint
Design and functionality are key purchasing criteria for sports equipment and accessories. Unfortunately, products for this booming market are often made of ecologically unsustainable composite materials. But now a recyclable alternative has been developed from the biopolyester PLA.
New bicycle helmet is made entirely from biopolyester PLA
Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT have now developed an alternative as part of a project funded by the Fraunhofer Future Foundation. A bicycle helmet model is used to demonstrate the new material, because, for good reason, the product design of bicycle helmets focuses on functionality. Until now, this has been at the expense of recyclability, leaving a significant ecological footprint – especially when the helmets are manufactured in Asia from petroleum-based mass-produced plastics. The helmet shell is made of polycarbonate (PC), the foam core of polystyrene foam (EPS), attachments often of polypropylene (PP) and straps of nylon (PA). Due to the complex structure, recycling at the end of the product life cycle is very challenging both technically and economically. The result: the helmets are usually incinerated after a three- to five-year period of use
Questioning the principle of manufacturing each component from a material specifically intended for it leads to new, sustainable design approaches. The PIMMS project demonstrates such an approach. As part of the project, various sports articles were developed that consist of only one material. The bio-based and recyclable plastic PLA is particularly suitable for this. Thanks to its technical properties and competitive price, it has been established on the market for several years. PLA has a material footprint that is up to eight times smaller than that of the materials used so far.
Demonstrator bicycle helmet
A bicycle helmet is a suitable demonstrator for the new material and design concept, as it must guarantee a high level of functionality, in particular high energy absorption at a low weight. Further factors for market success are comfort, price and appearance. In the course of the one-and-a-half-year market-oriented project, the Fraunhofer ICT, in cooperation with industrial companies (Comfil ApS, Elas A/S, WSVK GmbH, Polyola SAS, Röchling Industrial), developed particle foams, thermoforming films, fibers and composite materials made entirely of PLA. Their production and processing requires a precise and individually tailored process control. Thanks to the broad-based cooperation, the PLA helmet could be produced in the same large-scale process as conventional petroleum-based bicycle helmets. This lays the foundation for a competitive market launch of the innovative helmets.
The material's resistance to the usual environmental influences during use has already been positively verified. The standard-compliant external test, which is to demonstrate the helmet's usability, is still pending. In addition, a life cycle analysis (LCA) is to quantify the improved carbon footprint of the recyclable monomaterial bicycle helmet compared to the petroleum-based design.