Elium® by Arkema - The liquid thermoplastic resin that is revolutionizing technical textiles and composites

Elium® is a unique liquid thermoplastic resin that can be processed using the same methods as traditional thermoset composites, while offering the major advantages of recyclability and thermoforming (SAPUBThe Good Goods). This dual characteristic makes it particularly suited to the sustainability challenges facing the textile industry.

A revolution for natural fiber composites

Elium® can be used to manufacture different types of composite materials with fiberglass, carbon or natural fibers, even with very high fiber content (Agri MutuelEuronext). This compatibility with natural fibers (flax, hemp, jute) is particularly interesting for the International Textile Biomass Alliance, as it enables the creation of bio-based and fully recyclable technical textiles.

Northern Light shipyard in Italy has built a range of small, lightweight sailboats whose hull, deck and structure are made entirely from Elium® resin, natural fibers and recycled carbon (TextileworldCarbios). This achievement concretely demonstrates Elium®'s potential to valorize bio-based fibers in demanding structural applications.

Exceptional technical properties

Elium® is easy to use as it is liquid like other widely used resins today, but with the advantage of polymerizing at room temperature and hardening faster, representing a real technological breakthrough compared to epoxy thermoset resins which require often more costly and energy-intensive processes (Agri Mutuel).

For technical textiles, these characteristics translate into several advantages:

• Energy-efficient process: no need to heat molds, room temperature manufacturing

• Total recyclability: through mechanical (grinding and remelting) or chemical (depolymerization) pathways

• Thermoforming: ability to shape composite parts after manufacturing

• Thermowelding: easy assembly without additional adhesives

• Health and environment: without carcinogenic cobalt salts or styrene toxic to reproduction (Euronext)

Current applications and textile potential

Elium® applications span wind energy, construction and civil engineering, transportation, marine, sports and consumer goods (SAPUBCarbios). In the sports sector, Elium® has already proven itself:

Beneteau group's First 44e is the first production sailing yacht built entirely—hull, deck and cabin—from Elium® thermoplastic resin, becoming the first fully recyclable production composite sailboat (L'Usine Nouvelle).

For tomorrow's technical textiles, Elium® could revolutionize:

• Sports equipment: helmets, protections, backpack structures, nautical equipment

• Automotive textiles: structural reinforcements, interior composite panels based on natural fibers

• Geotextiles and construction textiles: corrosion-resistant composite reinforcement bars for reinforced concrete, prestressing cables for segmental bridges (L'Usine Nouvelle)

• Medical textiles: lightweight, sterilizable composite structures for orthopedic devices

A structured research ecosystem

Arkema works with academic partners, institutions and research centers to create a complete ecosystem around Elium® resin, notably as part of the ZEBRA project coordinated by the Jules Verne research institute to develop zero-waste wind turbine blades (Euronext).

Since 2017, Arkema's R&D teams have developed the recycling process through depolymerization of composite parts made from Elium® resin, enabling recovery and purification of the resin with the same properties as virgin resin (The Good Goods).

An opportunity for textile biomass

For textile biomass stakeholders, Elium® represents an opportunity to develop high-performance composites combining:

• Local natural fibers (flax, hemp, miscanthus)

• An infinitely recyclable thermoplastic matrix

• Room temperature manufacturing processes

• Controlled end-of-life with chemical or mechanical recycling

Compatible with traditional infusion, RTM, SMC, pultrusion and impregnated tape processes, Elium® easily integrates into existing production lines (SAPUBCarbios), thus facilitating its adoption by the technical textile industry.

This French innovation, supported by ADEME and the French Investissements d'Avenir program, illustrates how specialty chemistry can provide concrete solutions for a more circular and bio-based textile industry.