Wedoany.com Report on Mar 17th, The UK's National Composites Centre (NCC), in collaboration with Cygnet Texkimp, SHD Composites, and Teledyne CML Composites, has successfully manufactured an aircraft inspection panel using 100% recycled carbon fiber. This marks the world's first instance of reusing recycled continuous carbon fiber in prepreg products. Carbon fiber, a critical material in aerospace, energy, and defense sectors, is notoriously difficult to recycle. However, this breakthrough demonstrates its potential for circularity.
In this project, Cygnet Texkimp recovered carbon fiber tow using the DEECOM® process. The NCC then wound the tow onto spools. SHD Composites converted this material into prepreg. Finally, the NCC fabricated the demonstration part using tooling from Teledyne CML Composites. Testing by SHD indicated that the recycled material performs comparably to virgin prepreg in terms of fiber volume fraction and stiffness, offering a more sustainable solution for high-performance applications.
Jack Alcock, CEAMS Technology Creation Lead at the NCC, stated: "We are making tangible progress on carbon fiber circularity, and this exemplifies what the NCC does best: bringing together the right people, expertise, and technology from across industry. Alongside partners like CEAMS, and with capabilities such as our new Carbon Fiber Development Facility, we will continue to tackle these significant challenges. This is crucial for accelerating the growth and competitiveness of UK manufacturing supply chains."
Ben Andrews, Product Technology Manager at SHD Composites, added: "At SHD, we are proud to support a project at the forefront of composite recycling technology, demonstrating that recycled carbon fiber can deliver specific stiffness solutions on par with virgin material. The rapid collaboration with partners highlights SHD's ability to respond quickly to technical challenges and deliver advanced, more sustainable material solutions."
Furthermore, the NCC has established a strategic partnership with CPI (Centre for Process Innovation) aimed at enhancing innovation capabilities in advanced materials like carbon fiber and reducing the UK's reliance on imports. The NCC's new Carbon Fiber Development Facility, opening later this year, will provide fiber research and testing capabilities, while CPI will focus on process chemistry optimization. This collaboration is expected to boost the UK's competitiveness in sectors such as aerospace and clean energy.
NCC Chief Executive Richard Oldfield noted: "Advanced materials are key enablers of the UK's growth agenda. Together with CPI, we are developing the strategic materials capabilities needed to enhance global competitiveness and industrial resilience." CPI Chief Executive Frank Millar emphasized that the partnership will accelerate intellectual property development and supply chain localization.
The NCC plans to showcase related achievements at Booth T62, Hall 6, at JEC World 2026. This progress marks a significant step forward in carbon fiber recycling technology, offering a new path for sustainable development in global manufacturing.
