Imagine a strong plastic that acts like a permanent glue, but can be 'unlocked' when you're done with it. Instead of ending up in a landfill, this material can be broken back down into its original pieces using specific triggers. This allows companies to recover expensive fibers and reuse the resin to make brand new products.
Thermoset composites are traditionally impossible to recycle, leading to massive landfill waste and loss of expensive reinforcement fibers. Companies lack a way to create high-performance parts that can be disassembled or repurposed.
A series of bio-based epoxy resins featuring Covalent Adaptive Networks (CAN) and a set of natural fiber reinforcements. The project also developed a recyclability framework and identified specific enzymes for biological resin degradation.
If you are a vehicle part manufacturer dealing with non-recyclable carbon or glass fiber composites — this project developed bio-based resins with dynamic bonds that allow the material to be re-polymerized. This means you can recover high-value fibers and reduce waste at the end of a vehicle's life.
If you are a materials supplier dealing with the environmental impact of thermoset resins in infrastructure — this project developed bio-composites using natural fibers and recyclable resins. This allows for the creation of structural elements that can be safely broken down and reused.
If you are a leisure equipment brand dealing with the 'forever' nature of epoxy composites — this project developed a way to use renewable fibers and resins that respond to stimuli. This enables a circular business model where old equipment is returned and recycled into new gear.
Based on available project data, the project focuses on using out-of-autoclave manufacturing processes to ensure the production is economically efficient.
The project is currently in the research and validation phase, focusing on adapting current recycling processes and evaluating the industrial application of the materials.
The project explicitly includes work to leverage industrial application by addressing intellectual property aspects, though specific patents are not listed in the summary.
The project follows the Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) approach and conducts safety and environmental assessments to meet regulatory requirements.
The project period runs from 2022-06-01 to 2025-11-30, suggesting that final results and validated materials will be available toward the end of 2025.
The consortium is heavily weighted toward research (8 partners) and SMEs (6 partners), indicating a strong focus on technical innovation and agility. With a 23% industry ratio and 13 partners across 9 countries, the project has a broad European base for validating the materials across different industrial contexts, coordinated by an SME-led research foundation (CIDAUT).
Contact FUNDACION CIDAUT in Spain for licensing and technical specifications.
Contact us to connect with the ESTELLA consortium for bio-composite integration.
