Strasbourg, France – Michelin has teamed up with CNRS and the University of Strasbourg to develop nanofibrous materials via electrospinning. The technique will be suitable for polyurethanes, including waterborne PU, according to Guy Schlatter, professor at the Institute of Chemistry and Processes for Energy, Environment and Health (ICPEES), a joint research unit of the two universities.
The aim of the project’s SpinLab research laboratory in Strasbourg is to study the electrospinning process to make these materials, initially for applications including adhesives and filtration membranes. The team expects these will have potential in various sectors, including mobility, energy and the environment.
They are looking to create materials with a fibrous structure organised in three dimensions, rather than being random. Traditional textile technologies rely on mechanical forces to form and deposit fibres. In contrast, the electrospinning process uses electrostatic forces; the fibre is formed, and then highly stretched and projected at great speed onto a substrate via the action of an electric field. This creates continuous fibres 100 to 1000 thinner than a human hair, and these are assembled into a “mat” – a nonwoven textile with a random structure resembling a cotton veil.
As well as developing an electrospinning platform to study the mechanisms involved in making multi-component nanofibrous morphology with controlled morphology and composition, they aim to develop mats with application-specific characteristics. The initial emphases will be on hydrogen and zero-emission mobility, and also adhesives.
The researchers speculate that ultimately it could have applications in various other fields. In the medical sector, for example, the method might be used for biomimetic implants for tissue engineering and wound dressing, while environmental applications could include air filters and liquid filtration membranes. On the energy side, they foresee potential in fuel cell membranes and supercapacitor electrodes.
Michelin believes the research should help it address two major issues. Structural reinforcement via electrospun mats may allow composite components to be made slimmer. And, it said, it may assist in the use of nonwoven membranes to take advantage of their permeability and electrical conductivity.
“The CNRS is thrilled about the creation of this new associated research laboratory with Michelin, which will develop innovative materials for applications in tyres, energy, and adhesives, doing so in keeping with the energy and environmental challenges of our organisation,” said Jean-Luc Moullet, chief innovation at CNRS.