Spotlight June 2023: New catalytic process for recovering important materials from composites in a single process

Home > Spotlight June 2023: New catalytic process for recovering important materials from composites in a single process

Previously virtually impossible and a huge problem: fibre-reinforced resin composites (epoxides) were not recyclable, and wind turbine rotor blades, for example, add up to a waste pile of 43 million tons by 2050. Researchers have now taken an important first step in “reprocessing” these composites and catalytically dissolving them so that the carbon fibres and resin ingredients can be separated without harming the materials. The process is not limited to rotor blades but can be applied to all composite materials. Particularly, because of the recovery of the expensive carbon fibres, this method is worthy of attention and leads to a better circular economy, thus, to improved sustainability.

Composite materials based on synthetic resins, usually reinforced with carbon fibres, are designed for long durability and are therefore fundamentally difficult to degrade. Until now, they have been stored as waste in landfills and thus removed from the cycle of materials.

Scientists at Aarhus University and the Danish Technological Institute have now filed a patent application for a process that, based on a catalyst containing ruthenium and various solvents, can break down the epoxy matrix and expose the carbon fibres without damaging them. The ingredients bisphenol A and the glass or carbon fibres are recovered and can be reused.

However, ruthenium is a rare and expensive metal, and the efficiency of the process has not yet been scaled-up to industrial level, but it is more than a glimmer of hope on the road to full recovery of the highly stable composites.

 

Original publication:

Ahrens, A et al. (2023). Catalytic disconnection of C-O bonds in epoxy resins and composites. Nature, 617, 730–737

Spotlight June 2023: New catalytic process for recovering important materials from composites in a single process

Weitere Spotlights


Spotlight August 2020: The nanoGRAVUR Grouping approach

Spotlight August 2020: The nanoGRAVUR Grouping approach

In August, we would like to present a paper of the German BMBF project nanoGRAVUR. nanoGRAVUR dealt from 2015-2018 with the grouping of nanostructured materials with regard to occupational safety, consumer and environmental protection and risk mitigation. The approach is now described by the project partners in this paper.Due to the variety of synthetic nanomaterials and the numerous modifications (differences in size, shape, chemical composition and surface functionalization), the effort required to investigate effects and behaviour within the framework of regulatory requirements is…

Read more

Spotlight August 2021: Towards FAIR nanosafety data

Spotlight August 2021: Towards FAIR nanosafety data

In August we would like to present a paper on FAIR data. The paper published in Nature Nanotechnology in June 2021 summarises the challenges and provides recommendations for the efficient reuse of nanosafety data in line with the recently established FAIR guiding principles: findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable. This article summarises the know-how on the […]

Read more

Spotlight March 2023: How can photovoltaics be made safe and sustainable?

Spotlight March 2023: How can photovoltaics be made safe and sustainable?

Conventional photovoltaic systems often have only low efficiency, i.e. only a fraction of the solar energy is converted into electrical energy and made usable. For this reason, research is being conducted into innovative materials that can significantly increase the energy yield and thus also enable more electrical energy to be generated from renewable sources. However, […]

Read more

Spotlight November 2023: Early Awareness and Action System for Advanced Materials (Early4AdMa)

Spotlight November 2023: Early Awareness and Action System for Advanced Materials (Early4AdMa)

Advanced materials hold immense potential to address global challenges such as environmental degradation, transformation of the energy sector, and development towards circularity. To harness their benefits while ensuring safety and sustainability, regulatory bodies, scientific communities, and industries have recognized the need for proactive approaches. The “Early4AdMa” system is a pre-regulatory risk governance tool for advanced […]

Read more

Skip to content