Imagine if we could take old wind turbine blades or car parts and instead of crushing them, we could 'unstick' the glue to reuse the parts or melt the resin away to get clean fibers back. It's like turning a Lego set back into individual bricks without breaking them, so they can be used to build something new. This makes high-tech materials cheaper and keeps them out of landfills.
Composite materials like carbon fiber are expensive and difficult to recycle, often ending up in landfills because traditional grinding or burning destroys the fiber quality.
A suite of TRL6 technologies including laser-shock dismantling, green solvolysis for fiber recovery, and reversible thermoset resins.
If you are a vehicle manufacturer dealing with expensive carbon fiber waste — this project developed AI-assisted sorting and laser-shock dismantling that allows for the profitable reuse of parts and materials.
If you are a turbine operator dealing with massive end-of-life composite blades — this project developed catalyst-assisted green solvolysis that recovers high quality, clean fibers to be used as secondary raw materials.
If you are a resin producer dealing with non-recyclable thermosets — this project developed smart and green reversible resins that make future composites easier to repair and recycle by design.
Based on available project data, specific pricing is not provided, but the project aims to make the reuse of materials 'profitable' and 'economically convincing'.
The project aims to validate technologies at TRL6, which means they are demonstrated in a relevant environment rather than full commercial scale.
Based on available project data, there is no specific mention of licensing terms, though the project involves 14 industry partners who may hold the resulting IP.
The project addresses the progressive banning of landfilling for composite waste by providing alternatives to mechanical grinding and pyrolysis.
The project period runs from 2022-06-01 to 2026-05-31, suggesting the TRL6 validation will be completed by mid-2026.
The consortium is heavily weighted toward commercial application, with a 61% industry ratio consisting of 14 companies, including 8 SMEs. This strong industrial presence, combined with 4 universities and 3 research centers across 9 countries, suggests the project is focused on market viability and industrial integration rather than pure theory.
Contact Politecnico di Milano regarding the RECREATE project
Contact us to connect with the RECREATE industrial partners for TRL6 technology transfer.
