Abstract

Automotive industry is a sector where the technologic development aims to fulfil high standard requirements regarding safety, energy efficiency and environmental pollution. The development and application of technical textiles as a reinforcement for polymeric matrixes to form high performance composite materials that comply with automotive industry standards has been increasing. Nowadays composite materials are an integral part of vehicles bringing advantages both in terms of mechanical performance and lightweighting. The current technical textiles applied in this sector focus on high mechanical performance through the application of fibres such as carbon fibre, aramid and glass fibre, these textiles combined with thermoplastic materials result in recyclable composites that reduce environmental pollution. This work was developed in the framework of TexBoost project co-financed by COMPETE 2020 – the Operational. Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalization, under Portugal 2020 through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). TexBoost PPS3 (AN1/AN2) main objective is the development of smart and hybrid textile structures that when integrated in the matrix result in not only high mechanical performance composites but also smart composites with structural health monitoring capabilities, allowing the evaluation of potential structural fails and necessity of vehicle part replacement (preventive maintenance of automotive parts). Therefore, different types of sensing fibres are being developed, characterized and weaved in a textile structure with carbon fibres to be further integrated in polymeric matrixes. All the developed composites are being characterized both in terms of mechanical and electrical performance.