Europe wants to make it possible to recycle large composite components

INEGI is one of the partners of EuReComp, the European project that aims to create sustainable methods for the recycling and reuse of end-of-life composite materials, especially those derived from large components used in industries such as aeronautics and wind energy.

The project is in line with European priorities regarding the introduction of circular economy logic in sectors that generate large-scale waste. This means designing products with high added value through reuse, repair, reintegration, reuse and recycling for other sectors of application, namely the automotive industry.

The consortium will therefore work on creating dismantling and categorization systems that allow for reuse and recycling, and on implementing new solutions to increase the reuse of entire products and components. To encourage the industry to invest in this transition, they will also create demonstrators to show the benefits of the solutions, and design training resources for professionals in collaboration with educational institutions.

Andreia Araújo and Raquel Santos, responsible for the project at INEGI, explain that the reuse of large composite components, such as wind blades and panels used in the manufacture of aircraft, is a technical challenge, but it is imperative that it be made a reality .

To this end, INEGI will develop new methodologies for segmenting end-of-life components based on their properties and/or the presence of damage from previous use, as well as proposing new products resulting from the reuse of specific sections (demonstrators). INEGI will also be focused on the development of new materials, through recycling, for the manufacture of a demonstrator in partnership with Dallara.

The EuReComp - European recycling and circularity in large composite components project is co-financed by the Horizonte 2020 Program (Grand Agreement No: 101058089). Join 20 partners and the work will run until 2026.