SUSTAINABLE BOAT DESIGN GUIDE: Materials, Manufacturing, End-of-Life and Environmental impact

Abstract

The fiber-reinforced plastic composite components consist of fiber reinforcements (glass, carbon, aromatic polyamide fibers) embedded in resin (epoxy, polyester, phenol-formaldehyde). While the resin gives the composite its shape, surface appearance, environmental tolerance, and overall durability, the fibrous reinforcement bears most of the structural loads, thus primarily providing macroscopic stiffness and Strength. Due to the chemical crosslinked structures, thermoset composites cannot be easily separated into their fiber and matrix components, which is the basis for the success of these versatile materials but also means they are inherently difficult to recycle. Additionally, the production of the fibers mentioned above is energy-intensive and consumes non-renewable resources. Therefore, adopting sustainable alternatives for synthetic fibers and resins in production is essential for the industry to move to a circular economy model from the current linear model.