Rheinforce: Development of tailor-made damping materials
Total Budget: 20 k€ CEFT funding: 20 k€ Program: BIP PROOF 2018 Funded by: University of Porto Coordination: Francisco J. Galindo Rosales and Laura Campo-Deaño
Short Description
Rheinforce is a technology (WO Patent App. PCT/IB2015/057,399), created by F.J. Galindo-Rosales and L. Campo-Deaño and owned by the University of Porto, that allows the design of composites with optimal damping performance against impacts and vibrations while constraining the volume and mass to the minimum. This technology gives added value to materials that do not have it, such as agglomerated cork, so they can be used in high-tech applications; additionally, the technology also enables the development of new products with optimal performance, tailored to the specific application and user, allowing a greater competitive position as well as creating new market niches.
This proposal aims at accomplishing a three-fold objective: first, adapt our technology to develop a cork helmet liner, certified by an external and accredited helmet test laboratory according to cyclist standards; second, we will also develop a pilot plant for the incorporation of our technology into the production line of the cork company; third, we will perform a market analysis , which together with all this information will allow performing an assessment of the technical and economic viability of the technology in industrial conditions. Thus, through this BIP Proof programme, the technology readiness level (TRL) of our technology will be lifted from its current TRL4, firstly up to TRL 6-7 and secondly up to TRL 9.