101488Carbon/biocomposite hybrid vehicle structures for reduced weight, cost and environmental impact (CARBIO)ClosedCollaborative R&DInnovate UKThe CARBIO project will develop automotive structures with reduced weight, cost, environmental impact and improved noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) by the incorporation of novel flax-bioepoxy composites into carbon fibre components. The need to reduce vehicle weight is leading to the adoption of carbon fibre, which is expensive, energy/CO2 intensive, difficult to recycle and can lead to poor NVH. Flax fibres are low cost, renewable, CO2 neutral and have excellent vibration damping properties, whilst bio-based epoxy resins offer enhanced toughness and sustainability over synthetic epoxies. This project will develop and optimise flax/carbon hybrid biocomposite materials and test them according to automotive OEM specifications. A number of case study parts, such as a door, wheel arch panel and seat structure, will be designed and validation parts will be produced and tested.