Periodic Reporting for period 2 - MC4 (Multi-level Circular Process Chain for Carbon and Glass Fibre Composites)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2023-10-01 al 2025-03-31
Each year about 110.000t of carbon fiber composite parts and 4.500.000t of glass fiber composites are used. 98% of these parts end up in landfills at the end of their life. To address this problem the MC4 project aims at establishing a multi-level circular process for carbon and glass fiber composite. Multi-level means that processes will be developed for short-term implementation with immediate impact and for the longer term with a wider impact on industry. Carbon and glass fiber have substantially different costs and the project takes this into account by developing economically feasible procedures that are based on chemical matrix/fibre separation for carbon fibre and on a new type of resin for the direct re-use of the composite for glass fibre. Quality grading of the recycled material will be a key element to ensure a proper use in the different domains and to minimize the need for "downcycling".
To create impact on the short term the project is also investigating methods for the mechanical recycling of glass fibre composites, with the goal of re-using larger (5-10cm) pieces of material to take advantage of the mechanical properties of the composites (rather than converting it into particles used as filler). Finally, the re-use of uncured carbon fibre scrap directly in the production process will be investigated to convert the scrap material to re-usable roll material or to directly re-use it in (smaller) parts. Within the supply chain investigated in the project the overall goal is to achieve a recycling rate of at least 60%.
As an additional benefit, the project will enable European material manufacturers to develop their own, patented processes for manufacturing of recycled material. Currently, 80% of the manufacturing of virgin carbon and glass fibre is taking place outside of Europe and the manufacturing technologies used inside of Europe are often licensed from foreign countries. MC4 puts particular emphasis on the design and manufacturing of best practice examples of parts made from recycled materials. For six different domains, including automotive, aerospace, sports equipment, boats, urban furniture and civil engineering, composite products will be manufactured, with the aim of demonstrating the use of recycled material and enhancing the demand side for recycled material in the different domains. The consortium includes process developers, material manufacturers and SME end users, who manufacture composite parts. It covers the whole value chain and thus enables the creation of real circular process for composites.
To create impact on the short term the project is also investigating methods for the mechanical recycling of glass fibre composites, with the goal of re-using larger (5-10cm) pieces of material to take advantage of the mechanical properties of the composites (rather than converting it into particles used as filler). Finally, the re-use of uncured carbon fibre scrap directly in the production process will be investigated to convert the scrap material to re-usable roll material or to directly re-use it in (smaller) parts. Within the supply chain investigated in the project the overall goal is to achieve a recycling rate of at least 60%.
As an additional benefit, the project will enable European material manufacturers to develop their own, patented processes for manufacturing of recycled material. Currently, 80% of the manufacturing of virgin carbon and glass fibre is taking place outside of Europe and the manufacturing technologies used inside of Europe are often licensed from foreign countries. MC4 puts particular emphasis on the design and manufacturing of best practice examples of parts made from recycled materials. For six different domains, including automotive, aerospace, sports equipment, boats, urban furniture and civil engineering, composite products will be manufactured, with the aim of demonstrating the use of recycled material and enhancing the demand side for recycled material in the different domains. The consortium includes process developers, material manufacturers and SME end users, who manufacture composite parts. It covers the whole value chain and thus enables the creation of real circular process for composites.
By the end of the project, the planned four circular value chain were established and demonstrated by havin and acutal, physical flow of material along the whole processing chain. The following main results have been achieved:
• Characterisation of the four circular processes and of recycled materials at a technical and economic level.
• Life cycle assessment of the circular processes on the example of the products made in the MC4 project.
• Setup of a reactor for matrix/fibre separation using a solvolysis process for end-of-life carbon fibre parts and generating about 100kg of recycled fibre.
• Two different processes for the re-use of uncured material in production of carbon fibre prepreg parts, including the manufacturing of recycled sample parts.
• Manufacturing of a glass fibre kayak made with a new vitrimer resin (“3R”) and the re-shaping of the kayak into several paddles as second-life products.
• Development of a process for the re-use of larger, shredded glass fibre composite pieces in new parts and manufacturing of automotive components (bus side skirt)
• Development of textile processes to create nonwoven material and tapes from recycled carbon fibre, including production waste as well as chemically recycled fibre.
• Implementation of a sensor system for the quality control of recycled carbon fibre, integration into the weaving machine and testing over an extended period of time.
• Feasibility study of converting the organic (non-fibre) fractions into new resin and the development of chemical modifiers.
• Manufacturing of 6 products made from recycled material and documentation of their properties in comparison to parts made from virgin material
All of these developments were demonstrated in an integrated way, leading to the manufacturing of products in 6 domains. Each of these products was specifically designed to take the use of recycled material into account, while ensuring the required mechanical performance and surface quality.
• Characterisation of the four circular processes and of recycled materials at a technical and economic level.
• Life cycle assessment of the circular processes on the example of the products made in the MC4 project.
• Setup of a reactor for matrix/fibre separation using a solvolysis process for end-of-life carbon fibre parts and generating about 100kg of recycled fibre.
• Two different processes for the re-use of uncured material in production of carbon fibre prepreg parts, including the manufacturing of recycled sample parts.
• Manufacturing of a glass fibre kayak made with a new vitrimer resin (“3R”) and the re-shaping of the kayak into several paddles as second-life products.
• Development of a process for the re-use of larger, shredded glass fibre composite pieces in new parts and manufacturing of automotive components (bus side skirt)
• Development of textile processes to create nonwoven material and tapes from recycled carbon fibre, including production waste as well as chemically recycled fibre.
• Implementation of a sensor system for the quality control of recycled carbon fibre, integration into the weaving machine and testing over an extended period of time.
• Feasibility study of converting the organic (non-fibre) fractions into new resin and the development of chemical modifiers.
• Manufacturing of 6 products made from recycled material and documentation of their properties in comparison to parts made from virgin material
All of these developments were demonstrated in an integrated way, leading to the manufacturing of products in 6 domains. Each of these products was specifically designed to take the use of recycled material into account, while ensuring the required mechanical performance and surface quality.
By the end of the project the following results beyond the state of the art have been achieved:
* a chemical recycling process for the separation of matrix and fibre of carbon fibre composite parts. The process works at comparably mild conditions and is less energy intensive than other chemical recycling processes. It is has been tested at laboratory level for composites epoxy-amine hardener and could be shown to completely dissolve composites while obtaining very clean carbon fibre with high mechanical performance.
* an adaptation of the a particular type of resin ("3R") for the use with glass fibre. The resin has properties very similar to thermoset resins, but has the advantage to be re-shapable und heat and pressure. This enables a "second life" for end-of-life glass fibre composite parts.
* two methods to transform scrap of uncured carbon pre-preg into material that can be directly used in the manufacturing of carbon fibre composite parts, with not-so-critical requirements in terms of mechanical perfomance.
* a process for the re-use of larger pieces of glass fibre composites in parts while obtaining suitable mechanical properties and good surface quality.
* auxiliary processes for the spectroscopic sorting of input material and quality inspection of fabric made from recycled fibre
* a feasibility study on the re-use of the organic fraction coming from the recycling processes of glass and carbon fibre end-of-life parts.
These recycling processes and auxiliary processes reached TRL6 by the end of the project and have been used to manufacture real-world products.
* a chemical recycling process for the separation of matrix and fibre of carbon fibre composite parts. The process works at comparably mild conditions and is less energy intensive than other chemical recycling processes. It is has been tested at laboratory level for composites epoxy-amine hardener and could be shown to completely dissolve composites while obtaining very clean carbon fibre with high mechanical performance.
* an adaptation of the a particular type of resin ("3R") for the use with glass fibre. The resin has properties very similar to thermoset resins, but has the advantage to be re-shapable und heat and pressure. This enables a "second life" for end-of-life glass fibre composite parts.
* two methods to transform scrap of uncured carbon pre-preg into material that can be directly used in the manufacturing of carbon fibre composite parts, with not-so-critical requirements in terms of mechanical perfomance.
* a process for the re-use of larger pieces of glass fibre composites in parts while obtaining suitable mechanical properties and good surface quality.
* auxiliary processes for the spectroscopic sorting of input material and quality inspection of fabric made from recycled fibre
* a feasibility study on the re-use of the organic fraction coming from the recycling processes of glass and carbon fibre end-of-life parts.
These recycling processes and auxiliary processes reached TRL6 by the end of the project and have been used to manufacture real-world products.