UK-based NetComposites (Chesterfield; www.netcomposites.com) has developed long-fibre thermoplastic (LFT) flax/PP and jute/PP pellets that can be injection moulded. The pellets, made using pultrusion technology (a continuous process for making composite materials with constant cross-section) and commingled yarns, are a competitive alternative to glass LFT and continuous fibre composites, the company said.

Benefits include a stiffness that is comparable with glass resulting in pellets that are low weight, capable of complex moulding geometries, have good impact and creep resistance as well as improved performance over other short-fibre materials.

The pellets are said to be ideally suited to light-weighting applications such as automotive interiors. Currently, NetComposites is working with an automotive trim supplier to develop an interior panel using flax/PP pellets. The material has a specific modulus comparable with that of glass fibres but is about 40% lighter.

Other LFT variants are being developed such as novel polymer reinforced polymer (PRP) pellets with a PET reinforcement and PP matrix. NetComposites said these pellets offer another lightweight and highly impact-resistant alternative to glass/PP products.