Sustainability - Antefil Composite Tech

Produce lightweights

the responsible way.

Impact statement

We believe that lightweight composite materials are essential to reach a net carbon neutral future, whether this is in road-based mobility and transport, wind energy production, consumer products or aviation. We made it our challenge to drive the progress of the global composites industry towards using recyclable materials in fast low-energy processes.
We believe that our impact is biggest when our technology combines sustainability impact with direct cost savings, meaning that our solutions enable more responsible production and circular material use in broader markets which otherwise can not afford these practices.

Our contribution to the big picture

Antefil technologies and products advance the responsible production of lightweight structures through innovation in the composites industry; enable accelerated access to affordable and clean energy through their application in wind turbines; and are developed and produced in an inclusive framework which supports decent work and economic growth.
Antefil addresses and supports the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 7, 8, 9, and 12. To learn more about these goals, visit sdgs.un.org/goals.

How are hybrid fibres sustainable?

Lightweight composite materials help to cause lower emissions when used in moving structures. But how does that compare to the footprint of their production? And how do we deal with them at the end of their life cycle? Here are a few points to consider.

Lightweighting

It’s not news that lighter things require less energy to be moved around. Lighter bicycles are faster. Lighter cars consume less fuel or drive further on a single charge. Lighter planes carry more people and cargo.
A study has found that replacing an aluminium car bonnet with one made from our fibres lowers that part’s CO2 footprint by 74%!

Efficiency in production

Roughly half of the global heat production is used in industrial processes. Composites manufacturing is no exception to this, as many processes use heat to melt plastics or liquify and cure resins.
Antefil fibres can be converted into lightweight structures using the fastest, most energy-efficient processes known to the industry. Even when replacing resin-based methods, the higher temperatures needed are offset by faster production cycles. This means the total heat used per part is less – which lowers the power bill and helps the planet!

Thermoplastics are the better choice

Thermoplastics are the type of plastic you are familiar with from everyday life, e.g. from PET bottles. They melt when heated up. This means they can be processed quickly, without any chemical reactions, they can be welded and crucially, they can be recycled. Today, 61% of composites are made from unrecyclable resins. Those only allow recovering the reinforcing fibres, while burning or dissolving the cured resin.
Thermoplastics offer additional routes, some of which are truly circular for the entire composite, not just the fibres!

Glass over carbon

Carbon fibres are around 30% lighter than glass fibres and about three times as stiff. But glass fibres withstand roughly the same loads before they break and are 10 to 100 times cheaper. What’s more, producing one ton of glass fibre emits 92% less CO2 than the production of the same amount of carbon fibre.
So, unless you need the absolutely lightest and stiffest part for your application, go with glass – as we do!

Join our mission

Let’s create a new standard in composites production.

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