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REcycling technologies for Circular REuse and remanufacturing of fiber-reinforced composite mATErials

Project description

Innovative recycling for end-of-life composite waste

The dangers posed by climate change have roused countries and organisations worldwide, initiating a push for cleaner technologies and carbon emission reduction. Today, recycling processes and sustainable production lines provide vital opportunities for a greener future, with substantial demand for innovations in these fields. The EU-funded RECREATE project aims to develop several novel technologies for better and greener reuse, recycling, and remanufacturing of fiber-reinforced composite materials. It will introduce technologies utilising end-of-life complex composite waste as feedstock for new materials and parts for different industrial sectors, setting up the necessary tools and strategies to make these processes efficient and profitable.

Objective

The general objective of the RECREATE project is to develop a set of innovative technologies aimed at exploiting the potential of End-of-Life (EoL) complex composite waste as feedstock for profitable reuse of parts and materials in the manufacturing industry. In the light of this, more specific objectives are:
- to develop and validate in relevant environment (TRL6) novel reuse strategies for large EoL composite parts based on smart recognition and inspection for sorting (Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy), high precision dismantling (laser-shock) and repair, temperature-assisted reshaping, design for disassembly based on reversible joints, AI-assisted decision support systems;
- to develop and validate in relevant environment (TRL6) innovative recycling technologies (catalyst-assisted green solvolysis and electrofragmentation) allowing simultaneous recovery of high quality, integer, clean fibers and of an organic resin fraction reusable as coating material, at the very end of the multiple reuse processes of parts;
- to demonstrate at TRL6 the use of smart and green reversible thermoset resins as enabling materials for the realization of the next generation of fiber-reinforced composites with easier repairability and enhanced reusability, facilitating the transition towards recyclable-by-design composites;
- to develop digital tools for the quantitative evaluation of the environmental and economic performance of the proposed technologies (LCA/LCC), as well as their circularity assessment and acceleration;
- to co-design innovative digital learning resources, based on MOOCs, gamification and digital twins of some specialty technologies developed in the project, with easy adoption and high replicability.
The objectives and ambition of RECREATE are fully compliant with the general requirements of the Horizon Europe - Digital, Industry and Space 2021 Work Programme, and with the specific requirements of the call Horizon-CL4-2021-Resilience-01-01.

Coordinator

POLITECNICO DI MILANO
Net EU contribution
€ 996 250,00
Address
PIAZZA LEONARDO DA VINCI 32
20133 Milano
Italy

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Region
Nord-Ovest Lombardia Milano
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost
€ 996 250,00

Participants (22)