A new European project called ELIOT project, in which, among other partners, Dutch research centre TNO is taking part, has been launched to study and develop at large scale the most promising recycling methods for biocomposites – especially the materials now being used in the aerospace industry.

Developing an end-of-life solution for these materials based on circular economy principles, will enhance the environmental sustainabilityof this sector. This is essentila in view of the the strong growth anticipated in the coming decades in the aerospace field.

After all, high-performance composites have become one of the keys to reducing aircraft weight and thus reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. The sector has also explored the development of biocomposites that use natural fibres as reinforcement and resins from renewable sources.

Despite all the advantages of these high-performance composites, no efficient solutions have been found for end-of-life management when they become waste. The wide range of different types of parts and the fact that they are thermoset make it difficult to recover them. This is more pronounced in the case of biocomposites, a new material, which, unlike conventional composites, does not contain carbon fibres with a high market value.

AIMPLAS, the Plastics Technology Centre, is coordinating the European ELIOT project with the aim of developing new cost-effective recycling technologies to guarantee the sustainability of aeronautics components. The project started in July 2020 and will last 32 months. One of the consortium partners is TNO, the Dutch research centre. The project will analyse different recycling methods, including mechanical, thermal, chemical and biological recycling.

In the search for new solutions for recovering biocomposites based on circular economy goals, the project will review current composite recycling technologies to analyse the most feasible alternatives so they can then be adapted to the characteristics of biocomposites and tested to scale in the laboratory. Finally, the project is expected to demonstrate technical feasibility at pre-industrial scale.

The ELIOT Project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme within the framework of the Clean Sky Joint Technology Initiative under grant agreement number 886416.

www.aimplas.net