Het project RestMatch 2 wil onderzoeken wat het potentieel is van natuurlijke vezels uit plantaardige stengelnevenstromen als grondstof voor de productie van biogebaseerde materialen. Hiertoe worden stengelnevenstromen verzameld, de vezels eruit geëxtraheerd en de chemische samenstelling en kwaliteitseigenschappen van de vezels worden bepaald en vergeleken met deze van belangrijke natuurlijke vezels zoals katoen en vlas. Dit project zorgt voor kennisopbouw over alternatieve natuurlijke vezels uit reststromen.

RestMatch 2: Upcycling of natural fibres from plant-based by-products in Flanders: valorisation opportunities for a biobased economy with a focus on materials

In Flanders, an enormous amount of agricultural waste (leaves, rhizomes and stems) is produced every year after harvesting, most of which is not valorised or is valorised at a low level. In the transition to a bio-based circular economy, high-quality valorisation of organic by-products plays an important role. Raw materials are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive and the global demand for eco-materials in industry is rising. Upcycling of natural fibres from agricultural waste can offer a solution.

The RestMatch 2 project wants to investigate the potential of natural fibres from plant stem cuttings as raw material for the production of bio-based materials. The chemical composition and qualitative properties of the fibres will be determined and compared with those of commonly used natural fibres such as cotton and flax. This project will build knowledge about alternative natural fibres from waste streams.
RestMatch 2 is a research project of research center AgroFoodNature, working at the interface of agri- and horticulture, food and nature.