Our vocation

The private innovation company and engineering platform for industrial projects FRD promotes the emergence and development of innovative applications for agricultural fibres.

FRD works within the “Industries et Agro-Ressources” (Industries and Bioresources) and acts as the cluster’s co-ordinating structure for the plant-fibre-based materials sector.

Created at the behest of producers of plant fibres and reinforcements and major plant-chemistry players, FRD is the first unifying industrial organization to bring 15% of all French plant-fibre production under its wing via its stockholders.

FRD has expertise in the full range of plant-fibre extraction and applicative implementation activities, from the plant all the way to end applications.

If you are a professional in the building & construction, transportation, or sports & leisure sector (among others), we can provide support for your innovation needs, along with the most relevant solutions in terms of environmental compliance, product performance or material functionality.

What’s new !

ICBBM: FRD participation in the 4th International Conference on Bio-based Building Materials, 16-18 June 2021

The latest scientific and technical advances in the field of bio-based building materials were presented. Over the years, this conference has become an important forum for scientists from various disciplines to share their experiences in the application of bio-based building materials.

This year, more than 150 papers were presented at the conference, which allowed for a wide range of topics to be discussed. Thanks to the organisers!

FRD intervened, in the framework of the FIBRABETON project in collaboration with Groupe Vicat and the Ecole spéciale des Travaux publics, du Bâtiment et de l'Industrie, two papers were presented by : "Valorization of vegetal fibers in anti-cracking screed mortar formulation" and "Substitution of synthetic fibers by bio-based fibers in structural mortar" presented by Marie Audouin, our Project Manager. The desire to replace synthetic fibres by plant fibres in structural concretes and anti-cracking mortars was presented on this occasion.

Note in your calendars: come meet us and discover our solutions

Rechday intervention (webinar) : January 28, 2021
SFIP (Chambéry): March 25-26, 2021
JEC World (Paris): June 1-3, 2021
FIP Show (Lyon): June 15-18, 2021

Our catalog of fiber and reinforcement natural solutions

Find our page on material design and supply of fillers or reinforcements naturals on this following link.

Download HERE our catalog of fractions (fibers, flour, aggregates) and reinforcements (compounds, nonwovens, rovings, unidirectional, multiaxial…) offered by FRD.

Contract processing of all biomass

You are an application manufacturer, a biomass producer, a start-up? Are you looking for a solution for fractionation and functionalization of your materials?

Thanks to its expertise FRD supports you and offers you several solutions: cutting, grinding, micronization, dedusting, functionalization and calibration adapted to your product and its application.

For more information with its equipment.

FRD has just released the 2020 version of the "Guide to the markets for technical vegetable fibers in material uses (excluding wood) in France".

This guide provides a complete photograph of the use of plant fibers, their availability and their production at national level.

This document is the result of the desire to make these markets legible both for downstream actors (What resources? What availability? What access conditions?) and for agricultural upstream (What reality of materials market? What trends, what valuation levels? What is the point of positioning yourself on these markets?).

This study was carried out by FRD & IAR, with the support of Interchanvre and CELC, with funding from ADEME and FranceAgriMer. It is based on the main statistical data or benchmark studies produced in France or on a European scale in recent years.

Click HERE to access the download form in french version.

FRD and CODEM: Technical Centers dedicated to Materials with Low Environmental Impacts

An combination of skills that covers the entire materials value chain, from production to processing to end of life.

Our joint service offer brings you solutions in terms of:

Realization of turnkey studies (market, strategic, supply, LCA, technical evaluation ...)

Support in tailor-made R&D services

Development of innovative materials (Development, prototyping, process validation, pre-production)

Evaluation and characterization of raw materials and materials

Collaboration and piloting of collaborative innovation project

CRT Labeling & CIR certification

Since January 1, 2019, FRD has been certified by the Ministry of Research as a Technological Resource Center (CRT), thus recognizing our own technological and analytical means (tests, characterizations, analyzes ...) and or tailor-made (research , feasibility studies, design assistance, development of prototypes ...).

FRD is thus the 1st CRT in France entirely dedicated to the recovery of agricultural plant fibers in any field of application. This label guarantees the quality of advice and research provided to manufacturers, and in particular to SMEs French. This label would not have been retained without the quality of the academic partnerships set up for many years. A big thank you to our team and our partners who have enabled us to gain recognition for our expertise.

As such, FRD is CIR approved for 2021 to 2022 annual period, recognizing its ability to conduct research services, and providing for partial financial support to customers for research service fees.

Access the certification HERE.

Infrared analysis available at FRD

In an effort to innovate, monitor quality, speed up controls and measure materials, FRD has just acquired a reflective and visible-near infrared scanning analyzer in a range of 400 to 2500 nm:

Non-destructive testing
Analyses on straw, fibers, aggregates, compounds ...
Identification (relative to a reference), quantification, qualification
Technical repeatability: 32 measurements per sample

Find all the Analysis (Materials & Materials) and Quality Management HERE.

For any tailor-made research contracts, click on this following link.

Regio 2N train cabin made with natural fibers

The largest composite part reinforced with natural fibers

This demonstrator was presented for the first time at the JEC World show in Paris Nord Villepinte in March 2017. The part is the result of collaboration among participants in the investment project for the SINFONI “forward-looking” program.

Project Leader: Fibres Recherche Développement (FRD)
Materials and Processes: Stratiforme Industries - Bombardier
Reinforcements: EcoTechnilin - Eyraud
Fibers: Calira - Decock s.a. - La Chanvrière

The cabin of the Regio 2N train is usually produced with glass fibers by infusion and hand lay-up molding. It has been completely redesigned by computer to replace this synthetic material with fibers of flax and hemp as reinforcements. The production of the Regio 2N cabin was carried out in cooperation between producers, industrials and experts, in order to select the right stratifications and to optimize the manufacturing techniques.

The use of plant fibers as a reinforcement in the railway industry has been possible with the same processing methods while at the same time allowing a weight gain on the part of at least 20%.