>
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
Weitere Spotlights
Spotlight January 2022: Methods, models, mechanisms and metadata
For the new year, we are presenting no “classic” paper here, but would like to point out an editorial: Methods, Models, Mechanisms and Metadata: Introduction to the Nanotoxicology Collection at F1000 Research. This editorial introduces the F1000Research Nanotoxicology Collection, where best practices can be collected in the form of original research reports, including no-effect studies, […]
Read moreSpotlight 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 moreSpotlight June 2022: From small to clever – What does the future hold for the safety and sustainability of advanced materials?
The smallest particles in materials research, nanoparticles, have occupied us intensively for more than 20 years to elucidate and further investigate their safety for humans and the environment. Now, however, the development is going from “small = nano” to “clever = advanced”, as discussed in a contribution by international scientists. Thereby, it is a great […]
Read moreSpotlight November 2022: Photonics in nature and bioinspired designs
Science has always taken nature as a model and imitated it. If you look at the field of photonics, i.e. the use of optical technologies for information processing, transmission or storage, the colorful examples in the animal and plant world are perfect basic drawers for technical applications. While colors in nature are used either for […]
Read more