ELG Carbon Fibre and Aerocircular NV, Belgium, are collaborating to establish a closed-loop recycling scheme for end-of-life aircraft CFRP waste streams. The two companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in this connection. The partnership is aimed at developing the recycling process and create new products using the reclaimed carbon fibre.

“Today, composite EoL fractions are typically shredded and burned or landfilled,” says Aerocircular CEO Koen Staut. “By joining forces with ELG Carbon Fibre as an established international player in the field of carbon recycling, the ambition is to establish a closed-loop recycling process of our EoL aircraft carbon composite material stream, maximising value via a joint approach in further developing the recycling process and new product development using this reclaimed carbon fibre.”

Stein Janssens, director R and D adds: “This collaboration with ELG will allow a robust, economically viable recycling flow with impact on industrial scale. Doing so, every ton of carbon fibre from the aircraft we process to new material, saves 20 tons of GWP CO2eq at only 1/10th of the energy required compared to producing virgin carbon fibre”.

Frazer Barnes, managing director of ELG Carbon Fibre states: “Recycling post-industrial waste from aircraft manufacturing activities has demonstrated the economic, technical and environmental benefits that this new class of materials can deliver. By working with Aerocircular and expanding our activities into post-consumer waste from end-of-life aircraft, we are preparing to address the challenge that will be faced when carbon fibre intensive structures reach the end of their lives. This is an important step in ensuring that the carbon fibre composites industry plays its part in meeting the environmental challenges we all face”.