en.Wedoany.com Reported - A Spanish research team has launched a project called Implicit, developing multi-modal recycling strategies for single-use auxiliary materials generated during composite material production, aiming to transform these hard-to-treat wastes into industrial raw materials for high-value products such as automotive components, technical textiles, and urban furniture.
The composite materials industry has seen significant growth in sectors such as aerospace, rail, marine, and renewable energy, offering lightweight, strong, and durable solutions. However, the manufacturing process generates large amounts of plastic waste, particularly single-use auxiliary materials like vacuum bags, release films, and absorbent fabrics. These materials are essential for ensuring product quality but are typically landfilled or incinerated due to recycling difficulties.
The Implicit project is funded by Spain's Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities through the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI) and supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) of the European Union. The project proposes a paradigm shift, transforming these wastes into new resources, aligning with European circular economy goals. The initiative brings together eight entities representing various stages of the plastics value chain, including project leader Solteco, Birziplastik, Faperin, and Industrias Alegre, as well as technology centres Aimplas (technical leader), Eurecat, Tecnalia, and Leartiker. The Spanish Composite Materials Association AEMAC and strategic partner Airbus support the project, with Airbus providing real waste from aerospace manufacturing processes.
Pau Manclús, a chemical recycling researcher at Aimplas, stated: "The Implicit project marks a decisive step towards sustainability in the composite materials industry by addressing the recycling of auxiliary materials, which have historically been excluded from valorisation strategies. Thanks to collaboration between companies, technology centres, and industry associations, the project demonstrates that it is possible to transform complex waste into useful resources, thereby closing the lifecycle of these materials and helping to reduce the environmental impact of key industrial sectors."
The project processes materials primarily made from thermoplastic polymers such as PA, PET, PE, and PP through a multi-modal recycling approach. This approach integrates mechanical recycling processes (shredding, separation, and extrusion), physical recycling based on selective dissolution, and chemical recycling techniques (such as solvolysis) to remove thermosetting resins and recover high-value monomers and oligomers. The project also addresses key challenges such as waste heterogeneity and resin contamination through advanced decontamination, compounding, and additive formulation processes, aiming to improve the mechanical properties of recycled materials and ensure their industrial feasibility.
Industrial validation is a key pillar of the project. Through practical industrial demonstrators, recycled materials will be transformed into new products, such as technical automotive components, urban furniture profiles, and multifilaments for technical textiles. The project also anticipates new business opportunities related to advanced recycling and sustainable manufacturing, helping to enhance industrial competitiveness. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCC) will evaluate the environmental, economic, and functional impacts of the developed solutions.
The Implicit project, reference number CPP2023-010867, is funded by Spain's Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities through CDTI and the ERDF, as part of the 2024 Public-Private Partnership Project Programme.
