Knowledge Transfer Networks Accelerating business innovation:
A Technology Strategy Board programme
Knowledge Transfer Networks Accelerating business innovation:
A Technology Strategy Board programme
Composite materials and
end of life
High Value Manufacturing: Novel Materials and Opportunities for the Circular Economy
14th January 2014
Stella Job
Knowledge Transfer Networks Accelerating business innovation:
A Technology Strategy Board programme
Knowledge Transfer Networks Accelerating business innovation:
A Technology Strategy Board programme
What is the Materials
Knowledge Transfer Network?
• Currently 15 KTN communities
covering different sectors (ES, MBE,
Transport, AAD.. )
• Networking activities
• Identify emerging technology and
market needs
• Strengthen links between academia,
RTOs and industry
• Connect and catalyse
Materials KTN vision
"To bring together the materials supply chain to improve industrial
innovation and global competitiveness of UK business”
Knowledge Transfer Networks Accelerating business innovation:
A Technology Strategy Board programme
Knowledge Transfer Networks Accelerating business innovation:
A Technology Strategy Board programme
GFRP market:
Waste volumes
• GRP production 130kt
CFRP production 2.5 to 3kt
• GRP Waste:
– manufacturing waste 15kt/yr
– EOL waste – no way to measure,
poss 30-50kt, increasing to 100kt in 2030
• CFRP Waste
– C-fibre composite waste in UK possibly 1,000 t/yr
– EOL waste – still small, but will increase
• For comparison:
– Total plastic waste in UK approx 3 million t/yr
Knowledge Transfer Networks Accelerating business innovation:
A Technology Strategy Board programme
Knowledge Transfer Networks Accelerating business innovation:
A Technology Strategy Board programme
CFRP recycling:
Processes
• Pyrolysis
– Resin burned off with limited oxygen
– Stiffness retained; strength varies
• Fluidised bed
– Original stiffness of fibres retained,
C-fibres lose ~20% of tensile strength
– Very tolerant of contaminated materials
– Cleaner fibres
– Current Boeing, Nottingham, MIT-RCF
• Solvolysis = Thermo-chemical depolymerisation
– Uses fluids under sub- / super-critical conditions, recovers resin chemicals
– Work in Japan > 10 years
– Uni of Nottingham (AFRECAR ); Exeter, Bristol & others (EURECOMP)
– Now U of Birmingham (EXHUME)
Fluidised
bed process
Prof Steve Pickering,
U of Nottingham
Knowledge Transfer Networks Accelerating business innovation:
A Technology Strategy Board programme
Knowledge Transfer Networks Accelerating business innovation:
A Technology Strategy Board programme
CFRP recycling:
• Demonstrated by recent research:
– U of Nottingham (Afrecar): short fibre aligned veils
– Imperial College: pyrolysed fabric can be re-impregnated
– Dry fibres made into slivers, tows, woven fabric and aligned
veils, commingled with PET – Fibrecycle
– Dry fibres in filament wound products - E3Comp
• Commercially active in UK:
– ELG Carbon Fibre in W Mids
(pyrolysis) – milled, chopped,
pelletised C-fibre.
Mainly for anti-static thermoplastics.
• In Europe, CFK, Hadeg, Karborek. Also
Procotex
Knowledge Transfer Networks Accelerating business innovation:
A Technology Strategy Board programme
Knowledge Transfer Networks Accelerating business innovation:
A Technology Strategy Board programme
CFRP recycling workshop 2011:
key points raised
• Provenance – need to know where material comes
from and what it contains (fire retardants, etc)
• LCA data for recycling processes not available
• Need to inform industry that recycling is available,
e.g. through materials suppliers
• For higher value use, need higher fibre volume
fraction, which is achieved by better fibre alignment
• Quality standards, testing and demonstrators needed
to give confidence to designers
• Landfill tax is not significant for C-fibre, but further
“polluter pays” legislation or banning landfill is a risk
which drives recycling
Wave
Angela Connor, Dublin
Knowledge Transfer Networks Accelerating business innovation:
A Technology Strategy Board programme
Knowledge Transfer Networks Accelerating business innovation:
A Technology Strategy Board programme
GRP recycling:
Processes
Ground recyclate
• Fine filler – ERCOM history of
market failure
• Use in moulding compounds
at ~20% is well demonstrated
• Separation of longer fibres, adds value
• In concrete – precast products, screeds, foamed concrete
• Several other products have been tried – wood plastic composites;
rubber products; particleboard; compounds for injection moulding
Knowledge Transfer Networks Accelerating business innovation:
A Technology Strategy Board programme
Knowledge Transfer Networks Accelerating business innovation:
A Technology Strategy Board programme
GRP recycling:
Processes
Pyrolysis
• Researched at Leeds Uni 2001-3, and much in Japan
• Insulation slabs (Denmark)
Fluidised bed
• Nottingham University
Cement Kiln Route
• Polymer burnt for energy recovery, glass and CaCO3 filler are mineral
feedstock for cement.
• Operated by Zajons in Germany, accepted in EU as valid recyc route
Dry fibre waste
• (E3COMP) Filament winding, pultrusion, aligned prepregs
• Into ceramic tiles, composite manhole covers, plastic lumber
Knowledge Transfer Networks Accelerating business innovation:
A Technology Strategy Board programme
Knowledge Transfer Networks Accelerating business innovation:
A Technology Strategy Board programme
GFRP recycling:
What is commercially active?
• In UK (in-house or 1:1)
– Limited use of ground recyclate by
roofing sheet manufacturers
– Dry fibre waste in thermoplastic
• In Europe
– Cement kiln route, e.g. Zajons ‘Compocycle’ process (Germany)
– Ground GFRP waste in moulding compounds for car parts,
longer fibres in concrete – MCR (Plastic Omnium)
– Dry fibre waste - 3B / Reprocover manhole covers (Belgium)
Photo: Hambleside Danelaw
Knowledge Transfer Networks Accelerating business innovation:
A Technology Strategy Board programme
Knowledge Transfer Networks Accelerating business innovation:
A Technology Strategy Board programme
Recycling routes:
Seeking higher value
Post-treatment (ReCoVeR 2011 – 2015)
• Strathclyde University developing treatment to restore properties
All routes result in loss of fibre strength (typ. by 20-50%) though
stiffness is usually substantially maintained.
(Except ReCoVeR)
Solvolysis (EURECOMP 2009 - 2012)
• Using high temperature and
pressure water to remove the
resin. Speed, cost and effect
on properties.
Knowledge Transfer Networks Accelerating business innovation:
A Technology Strategy Board programme
Knowledge Transfer Networks Accelerating business innovation:
A Technology Strategy Board programme
GFRP recycling workshop 2011:
Drivers & barriers
There is a clear need for an intermediary company to handle waste, recycle and supply back to market
Drivers
Increasing landfill tax
Risk of further “polluter pays” legislation like ELV
Effect of recyclability on markets, corporate image
Barriers
Can GFRP recycling be economically viable? (Need
to know volumes)
Difficulty of getting diverse GFRP industries to work
together
Knowledge Transfer Networks Accelerating business innovation:
A Technology Strategy Board programme
Knowledge Transfer Networks Accelerating business innovation:
A Technology Strategy Board programme
Resource Efficiency Action Plan
(REAP)
• Initiated by Composites UK, funded by WRAP, delivered by URS &
NetComposites
• Industry stakeholder group represents supply chain to develop
actions
• REAP document with defined actions – “living” document
• Composites Leadership Forum will take responsibility, in
Sustainability Working Group
Knowledge Transfer Networks Accelerating business innovation:
A Technology Strategy Board programme
Knowledge Transfer Networks Accelerating business innovation:
A Technology Strategy Board programme
REAP actions
Markets Help develop commercially viable markets for GFRP
recyclate
Processes Support the commercialisation of new processes for
GFRP and CFRP recycling
Materials Provide consistency in the categorisation of composite
wastes
Information Disseminate case studies, information on best-practice
and emerging technologies, particularly to SMEs
Knowledge Transfer Networks Accelerating business innovation:
A Technology Strategy Board programme
Knowledge Transfer Networks Accelerating business innovation:
A Technology Strategy Board programme
Problems and Opportunities
Excellent environmentally
(light weight & durability)
Meet needs in other markets
Large market for chopped fibres
(also MIT-RCF)
Some markets value recycled
material; landfill charges
Other processes developed
(Strong UK activity); D4D; but also
incineration / cement kiln
Success = more to recycle
Closed loop very difficult
CF: Much effort reqd to re-create
aligned fabrics
GF: Economics v. tight
Challenges to economic viability:
Contamination; additives; cost of
disassembly
L E G I S L A T I O N
Knowledge Transfer Networks Accelerating business innovation:
A Technology Strategy Board programme
Knowledge Transfer Networks Accelerating business innovation:
A Technology Strategy Board programme
“What will be the most productive actions,
from industry and from government support,
as we go forward?”
1. Creation of an economically viable recycling supply chain for GRP.
Must be industry led, but needs govt support, for capital investment
as well as research.
2. Continued industry-focussed research to:
• address challenges from contamination and additives
• provide comparative LCA data
• raise value of recyclates
3. Increasing landfill tax - burdens small businesses, but now
essential & will help drive recycling
4. Support of govt funded agencies - composites industry knows
about manufacturing, not recycling, & needs to connect with other
sectors to develop markets for recyclate. (e.g. WRAP, KTNs, NISP?)
5. The Composites Leadership Forum - industry & government
working together, providing cohesion and a united voice.
Knowledge Transfer Networks Accelerating business innovation:
A Technology Strategy Board programme
Knowledge Transfer Networks Accelerating business innovation:
A Technology Strategy Board programme
Thank you
Comments / questions
welcome
Stella Job
www.materialsktn.net
To keep in touch with what we’re doing with end of life composites join our subgroup at https://ktn.innovateuk.org/web/composite-end-of-life
Knowledge Transfer Networks Accelerating business innovation:
A Technology Strategy Board programme
Knowledge Transfer Networks Accelerating business innovation:
A Technology Strategy Board programme
GFRP market:
Production volumes
From AVK Composites Market Report 2013 at www.avk-tv.de
Knowledge Transfer Networks Accelerating business innovation:
A Technology Strategy Board programme
Knowledge Transfer Networks Accelerating business innovation:
A Technology Strategy Board programme
GFRP market:
Diversity of sectors
• Boatbuilding
• Construction – roofing, sanitary
ware, tanks, footbridges, windows
& doors…
• Automotive – niche vehicles, small
parts, truck & bus, caravans…
• Wind turbine blades
• Sports goods
• Oil & gas – fire / blast protection,
pipes
• Ships – pipework, gratings, lockers,
radomes, masts, shower cubicles
• Electronics
• Aero - mainly interiors w phenolic
• Rail
Fig. 2 GRP production in Europe for different application
industries (year: 2013)
From AVK Composites Market Report 2012
Note: Leisure boats are in Sports & Leisure, other boats are
in Transport