This year again, the Bioceb students in Semester 2 at AgroParisTech (cohort 4) were welcome at "Fibres Recherche Développement" (FRD) for a presentation of the activities and facilities of this French company dedicated to the development of natural-fiber based composites. As their predecessors from cohort 3, the students had the opportunity to go for a tour and a picnic in the city center of Troyes before the visit.
Through the visit at FRD, the students were presented by Marie Audouin (Project Manager Analysis - Plant Fibers) the very latest technological innovations like the development of climbing blocks composites made of recycled PET and hemp fibers harvested in the region. This material is commercialized and used to equip many climbing walls, which provides a perfect example of local integrated approach to reduce the environmental impact of the sport & leisure industry while promoting a more circular economy. Thanks to the expertise of Marie Audouin in the characterization of plant fibers, the students discovered advanced technics to assess fibers composition, size distribution, and mechanical resistance. They learned about the importance to consider the specifications of the customers for the selection and processing of natural fibers.
From the bus on the way back to Paris the students accompanied by their AgroParisTech teachers Sophie Landaud and Stéphanie Baumberger enjoyed the agricultural landscape of the Champagne region.
Updated May 2024