As the world faces an unprecedented pandemic, the field of composites continues to innovate, offering solutions for the industry’s entire value chain and all end-use applications. With that in mind, JEC Composites Magazine has published the very first JEC Innovation Report 2020. This volume highlights more than 80 recent composite innovations identified by our editorial team, all of which should have been presented at JEC World 2020. It paints a picture of a dynamic sector driven by high- performance, environmentally friendly innovations.
Resistance, lightness and integration: key words for composite innovation
Research on innovations in composite materials is defined by even greater resistance, increased lightness and numerous integrations. Every link in the value chain is represented in the Innovation Report 2020, from raw materials to intermediate and auxiliary materials, research and development, production, equipment, simulations and measurements, and of course services.
Recycling, sustainability and eco-design: the main concerns of a changing industry
Additionally, the industry has achieved significant progress regarding any environmentally friendly issues. A large portion of the Innovation Report 2020 focuses on innovations that can make composite products even more sustainable and make the entire production process greener through eco-friendly design and easy-to-recycle products.
Focus on Building – Composites: a reliable solution for the building industry
Composite materials are now used in construction projects throughout the world. They are very flexible and allow for unique buildings to be created. Composites are recognized for their durability, their resistance to corrosion, their solidity, their lightness and their low maintenance. All of these advantages make them the building material of the future. They also help boost buildings’ energy efficiency.
For all of the above-mentioned reasons, the use of composites in the construction industry has grown in recent years. Another benefit is that they are highly resistant to weather, water, fire, electricity, and shock. Composites make it possible to design safer buildings that can better withstand natural disasters.
Shining a spotlight on industrial know-how
The JEC Innovation Report 2020 is proud to feature specialized companies within the building sector. Companies such as CarboLink (p. 43-44), Baltico (p. 46), and Saertex (p. 50) offer a variety of composite- based solutions for professionals in the building sector, with uses ranging from reinforcement of concrete girders to composite rods for bridges and the rehabilitation of drinking water pipes. And French know-how is not to be outdone, as demonstrated by the company Stratiform (p. 49) and its Isolaform solution, a state-of-the-art substitute for standard insulation.
JEC Group is the world’s leading company dedicated entirely to the development of information and business connections channels and platforms supporting the growth and promotion of the composite materials industry. Publisher of the JEC Composites Magazine – the industry’s reference magazine, JEC Group drives global innovation programs and organizes several events in the world, including JEC World (the foremost and world- leading international exhibition dedicated to composite materials and their applications), which takes place every March in Paris.