Samsung invests in recyclable epoxy thermoset technology
December 11, 2014 - United States Of America
Samsung Venture Investment Corporation has invested in Connora Technologies, Inc to advance commercialization efforts of recyclable epoxy thermoset technology called Recyclamine produced by Connora.
Alongside, Andre Genton, former president of Huntsman Advanced Materials and Brendan Iribe, a successful entrepreneur known recently for the acquisition of Oculus by Facebook have joined Connora’s advisory board.
Connora’s Recyclamine technology is a green chemistry platform that provides an efficient method for making and recycling composite waste materials and products.
Connora explains, “Efficiently recycling composite materials should have a positive impact in the automotive and aerospace industries, where the trend to make lighter, stronger, and more energy efficient vehicles is driving growth in the use of carbon fibre composite materials.”
It adds, “In these and other applications, carbon fibre parts are often made in high volumes, with sometimes 20-40 per cent of the raw materials going to waste.
“Since traditional thermoset plastics are not optimized for recyclability, current composite waste is intractable and often disposed of in landfill or by burning.”
According to Connora, this investment shows that the technology will have an economic value for manufacturers just as compelling as the obvious environmental benefits.
“Reclaiming the expensive carbon fibre from manufacturing waste in a near virgin state, and enabling OEMs to put it back into their products will help lower their costs over time,” Dr Rey Banatao, Connora’s CEO says.
European auto manufacturers are facing increased regulations to make cars from more recyclable materials.
The European Union Directive for End of Life Vehicles (ELV) is already pushing the limits for composite materials if they are to have a mainstream role in that industry.
Under the current provisions of the ELV Directive targeted for 2015, the proportions of ELV material required for re-use and recycling are 85 per cent by weight, while that for re-use and recovery is 95 per cent.
The 10 per cent difference being the amount allowed for incineration and energy recovery.
Connora’s Recyclamine Technology enables carbon fibre composites to more readily qualify as a recyclable material.
Connora is currently in discussions with several auto and aerospace OEMs to develop a specific Recyclamine Epoxy Resin system for use in high-pressure resin transfer molding processes (HP-RTM), suitable to the high-volume manufacturing methods being adopted by auto and aerospace manufacturers.
Connora Technologies is a next-generation chemical company with expertise in molecular design of degradable performance thermoset materials and offers molecular design expertise to the composites industry. (AR)
Alongside, Andre Genton, former president of Huntsman Advanced Materials and Brendan Iribe, a successful entrepreneur known recently for the acquisition of Oculus by Facebook have joined Connora’s advisory board.
Connora’s Recyclamine technology is a green chemistry platform that provides an efficient method for making and recycling composite waste materials and products.
Connora explains, “Efficiently recycling composite materials should have a positive impact in the automotive and aerospace industries, where the trend to make lighter, stronger, and more energy efficient vehicles is driving growth in the use of carbon fibre composite materials.”
It adds, “In these and other applications, carbon fibre parts are often made in high volumes, with sometimes 20-40 per cent of the raw materials going to waste.
“Since traditional thermoset plastics are not optimized for recyclability, current composite waste is intractable and often disposed of in landfill or by burning.”
According to Connora, this investment shows that the technology will have an economic value for manufacturers just as compelling as the obvious environmental benefits.
“Reclaiming the expensive carbon fibre from manufacturing waste in a near virgin state, and enabling OEMs to put it back into their products will help lower their costs over time,” Dr Rey Banatao, Connora’s CEO says.
European auto manufacturers are facing increased regulations to make cars from more recyclable materials.
The European Union Directive for End of Life Vehicles (ELV) is already pushing the limits for composite materials if they are to have a mainstream role in that industry.
Under the current provisions of the ELV Directive targeted for 2015, the proportions of ELV material required for re-use and recycling are 85 per cent by weight, while that for re-use and recovery is 95 per cent.
The 10 per cent difference being the amount allowed for incineration and energy recovery.
Connora’s Recyclamine Technology enables carbon fibre composites to more readily qualify as a recyclable material.
Connora is currently in discussions with several auto and aerospace OEMs to develop a specific Recyclamine Epoxy Resin system for use in high-pressure resin transfer molding processes (HP-RTM), suitable to the high-volume manufacturing methods being adopted by auto and aerospace manufacturers.
Connora Technologies is a next-generation chemical company with expertise in molecular design of degradable performance thermoset materials and offers molecular design expertise to the composites industry. (AR)