MANufacture et Innovation avec FIbres de CArbone recyclées (Manufacturing and Innovation with Recycled Carbon Fibers)

Project Information

MANIFICA Recycling

Grant agreement ID: 887104

DOI

10.3030/887104

Project closed

EC signature date 23 April 2020

Start date 1 July 2020

End date 30 September 2023

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Smart, Green And Integrated Transport

Total cost

€ 2 043 779,00

EU contribution

€ 1 743 119,23

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITE DE BORDEAUX
France

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - MANIFICA Recycling (MANufacture et Innovation avec FIbres de CArbone recyclées (Manufacturing and Innovation with Recycled Carbon Fibers))

Reporting period: 2022-07-01 to 2023-09-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Manifica aims to create a sustainable carbon fibre recycling industry from aeronautical waste to high performance rCF composite parts by 2023.
To achieve this, the project is based on 4 pillars:
- assessment and collection of the deposit on an industrial scale
- intelligent semi-products based on rCF
- a recycled carbon fibre that can be used to manufacture strong and stiff composites: semi-structural aeronautical applications made of rCF
- a consortium of leading industrial partners of the whole recycling chain (TORAY CFE, PAPREC, the University of Bordeaux and VESOConcept)

The production of high value-added parts gives value to recycled carbon fibre. This is a key point to open an efficient and sustainable recycling chain.
Proposing new end-of-life scenarios for perempted prepregs also allows less material to be wasted and landfilled. This contributes to reduce the overall impact of aeronautical composites.

Carbon fibre is a non-renewable material with a very high environmental impact. The fact that this material is not recycled but buried at the end of its life further increases its environmental impact and leads to a significant waste of material and energy. Moreover, the availability of recycled and high-performance carbon fibre makes it possible to reduce the consumption of non-renewable materials (virgin carbon fibres, glass fibres, metals, petroleum-based resins, etc.).

The objectives of Manifica are :
- to propose scenarios for extending the life or recycling of pre-impregnated semi-products (WP2) by recommending possible reuse on secondary parts in and out aeronautics and by suggesting recommandations for a possible recertification policy,
- to transform the different carbon wastes into semi-products easy to handle and ready to use in a market pull approach, (WP3)
- to develop high value semi-structural pre-series parts (demonstrators) by the use of rCF semi-products and proof that rCF afford better performances compared to conventional materials (reduction of manufacturing time, reduction of scraps, automated fibre deposition...) (WP4)
- to demonstrate through tests, that realigned rCF generates innovation such as: specific stiffness, temperature resistance, vibration damping, recyclability … and new functionalities such as: opportunities to adapt the anisotropy of the material with new ply angles; innovative drappage capabilities allowing for spherical shapes, quick fibre deposition, (WP3)
- to organize the collection and sorting of carbon fibre waste within the companies owning waste (SAFRAN, Airbus, Aircell…) together with the associated carbon footprint minimized logistics scheme, (WP5)
- to collect the environmental impacts data of each step of the recycling chain from collection of waste to finished products, by involving the key internal partners, (WP6)
- to bring all the actors of the recycling chain, from waste holders to end-users to create a ready-to-work carbon recycling industry, with a realistic market-pull Business model. (WP7)

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

A website www.manifica.eu has been set up a give the news of the project.
Discussions with aeronautical partners showed that landfilling of outdated prepregs could be avoided thanks to the simplified requalification procedure and to the new reuse scenarios proposed by Manifica.
PAPREC worked on the organization of waste segregation. Five tons of carbon fibres have been collected, prepared and sent to Alpha Recyclage Composites (ARC Castelsarrazin, 82100 France) for steam thermolysis matrix removal.
PAPREC, Airbus and the University of Bordeaux work on preparation of the waste that will enter in the recycling process and the optimization of the segregation system (sorting at source).

The work on semi-finished products of realigned recycled carbon fibres led to several improvements of the I2M/Université de Bordeaux realignment technology.
Specifications for semi-products production and selection of technologies for production of semi-products were proposed after several iterations between Veso and UBx. The current capacity of the upscaled realignment machine is now close to 20 kg/h of rCF.
The mechanical performances expected from Manifica rCF semi products have been measured and assessed.
2 demonstrators have been manufactured within the frame of Manifica : one simple and plane demonstrator aircraft floor panels and one curved and stressed demonstrator : aircraft engine AIOS.

The strategy for the calculation and collection of economical and ecological costs of semi-products and demonstrator parts was defined. Two steps of data collection were conducted and some interviews were performed.

The Life Cycle Inventories were released and updated at the end the project.
The dissemination and communication plan and the initial innovation plan have been defined in January 2021 (MS22) in accordance with CEN/TS 16555 standards family.
The External Advisory Board includings DECATHLON and STELIA AEROSPACE met each year to evaluate the route of the project.
A review of the legal framework report provides a clear framework for the treatment of carbon composite waste. A market study for realigned rCF has been conducted and shows many possible industrial applications.

In 2022, the consortium performed four presentations to conferences ( EASN Barcelone and Matériaux Lille. Several other communication actions were also performed ; see www.manifica.eu to keep informed
at least 4 communications are planned for 2023, particularly at Le Bourget to show the demonstrators.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The MANIFICA project is based on a very efficient rCF realignment process, and this process does not break the fibres, which allows us to produce semi-products with longer and better aligned fibres than the competition. These new characteristics also allow to produce composites with a fibre content of more than 55%
The rCF semi-products developed at Manifica enable stronger and much stiffer composite materials to be manufactured than what can be achieved with existing rCF semi-products on the market.
Now this process reaches an industrial capacity.

The performances of Manifica’s composites make it possible to produce high added -value parts with recycled carbon fibres, this enables the industry to be efficient and sustainable. This will be a vector for activities, on the one hand, because recycling carbon fibres on an industrial scale will create jobs. On the other hand, the availability in Europe of a new high-performance material with a low environmental impact could be a lever to bring back productions from countries with low menpower costs.

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