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Recycling and Repurposing of Plastic Waste for Advanced 3D Printing Applications

Project description

Turning carbon fibre waste into 3D-printed products

Lightweight and strong, carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) is increasingly being used in aeroplane and ship structures as well as wind turbine blades and high-tech bicycles. Its growing use has also highlighted the need to develop waste disposal methods of end-of-life plastic and CFRP components. The question is how to recycle efficiently and without harming the environment. The EU-funded Repair3D project will develop reclamation and repurposing routes. It will implement advanced nanotechnology solutions, additive manufacturing and recycled resources for the production of high-added-value 3D-printed products. By harnessing the potential of eco-design and allowing for integration of smart intrinsic self-sensing, self-repairing and recycling options, the project will create a distributed recycling process that can be implemented at local scale.

Objective

The project aims at the development of innovative reclamation and repurposing routes for end-of-life plastic and carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) components. This will be achieved by employing advanced nanotechnology solutions, Additive Manufacturing (AM) and recycled resources, for the production of high added value 3D printed products with advanced functionalities. In this way, the combination of AM, polymer processing and recycling technologies could constitute a new paradigm of a distributed recycling process, easily implemented at local scale in collaboration with the industrial sector and collection facilities, in order to create competitive, highly customisable products at lower production costs, in a flexible digital environment that fully unravels the potential of eco-design and allows for integration of smart intrinsic self-sensing, self-repairing and recycling options. The project aims to address all aspects and stages of thermoplastic and CF reinforced thermoplastic 3D printing material development from recycled resources, starting with the selection of suitable waste streams, strategies for material repair, compatibilization and upgrade towards AM processing, compatibility between different thermoplastic matrices and the reinforcing fibres and nanoparticles, comparative assessment of various AM thermoplastic processing technologies and closed-loop material optimisation in terms of processability and performance.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

Keywords

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Funding Scheme

RIA - Research and Innovation action

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Call for proposal

(opens in new window) H2020-NMBP-ST-IND-2018-2020

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Coordinator

TINEXTA INNOVATION HUB S.P.A.
Net EU contribution
€ 340 250,00
Address
CORSO MAZZINI 11
42015 CORREGGIO RE
Italy
SME
Yes
Region
Centro (IT) Lazio Roma
Activity type
Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
Links
Total cost
€ 340 250,00

Participants (18)