CTB is the Belgian Textile and Plastics Competence Centre. Their activities comprise four main pillars: (i) performing research, development and innovation activities; (ii) giving (technical) consultancy and organising trainings; (iii) offering a complete range of standardised testing; (iv) certification: CTB is a notified body for CE marking and testing. The R&D is focussed on applied research, aiming at involving companies as much as possible. CTB has an annual turnover of ca. 13 M€ and employs 165 people. CTB activities include the coating and finishing of textiles. This comprises the use of novel deposition techniques on textile materials but also the try out of novel chemistries and novel materials on textiles. For KaRMA2020, it is of importance that within CTB knowledge on the use of biobased materials has been built up via some (European) projects, including the use of keratin.
Role in the project
CTB will mainly work on the processing of the pre-treated feathers into a form enabling the use of keratin in industrial processing. CTB will also work on the addition of keratin into PU coatings and their characterisation. CTB will also contribute to the LCA analysis and to the project dissemination activities.
