Rheology for sustainable manufacturing technologies
RheoMaTe improves the understanding and processing of fiber-based biomaterials, important e.g. for eco-friendly packaging, textiles, and composites. The project tackles the complexity of these materials with improved measurement tools, AI models, and simulations to make handling easier, increase production efficiency, and support greener solutions.
The objective of the RheoMaTe project is to advance the understanding of the flow and viscoelastic properties of biomaterials, with a particular focus on fiber-based materials. These materials are essential for creating sustainable alternatives e.g. in composites, packaging, and textiles industries. With the aim of improved product quality and resource efficiency, fiber suspensions and fiber foams are being processed at increasing solids contents. This poses challenges to the processing of these materials, requiring new methods to be developed for measuring and controlling their rheological behavior.
Existing experimental methods are often inadequate for measuring the rheological properties of these materials, limiting the development of accurate material and computational models for industrial use. RheoMaTe addresses these gaps by creating innovative rheological measurement techniques, developing robust material models, and integrating them with advanced computational frameworks.
In the RheoMaTe project, new measurement methods are being developed for the rheological characterization of fiber suspensions and fiber foams, especially at high solids contents. The project also supports the development of online rheology measurement devices.
Additionally, new material models are being developed through advanced data analysis methods, including AI-assisted analysis, to describe the rheological behavior of fiber suspensions and fiber foams across a wide range of solids contents and fiber types. These material models will then be used to develop new CFD models for analyzing the flow of these materials in complex geometries.
WP1 develops rheological measurement methods that are specifically suited for the characterization of fiber suspensions and fiber foams at high solids contents. The rheological measurements are complemented by different flow imaging and velocity profiling techniques.
WP2 focuses on characterizing the rheological properties of industrially relevant materials – primarily fibre suspensions and fibre foams – to better understand their processability and performance in end-use applications, and to identify key parameters and models that accurately describe their behavior.
WP3 develops advanced CFD models for complex fluids for selected industrial processes, enabling better process design, optimization, and scale-up. These models are built on high-quality rheological data generated in WP2 to ensure accuracy and reliability.
WP4 focuses on analyzing and optimizing selected industrial processes and components by combining rheological measurements, validated CFD models, and pilot-scale testing at VTT and consortium partner facilities. The goal is to enhance process efficiency, performance, and scalability.
WP5 coordinates the project, ensures smooth collaboration between different stakeholders, and plans the exploitation of the project’s results.