Temperature assisted reshaping

Temperature assisted reshaping

Composites, as we know them today, have a significant presence and many applications. They are used in many fields, from aeronautics to the automotive industry, sports equipment and many others. The strong dependence on them stems from their remarkable properties of lightness, strength and high rigidity. The size of the global composites market was $90 billion in 2019, and with an expected growth rate of 7.6%, it will reach $160 billion by 2027. With this strong growth in the market, a huge amount of waste is being produced. Although their properties give them a place of choice in today's world, composites are very difficult to recycle, especially those with a thermosetting matrix. Thermosetting matrices polymerise irreversibly under the effect of heat, so it is impossible to melt them in order to recycle them. The methods currently adopted can be classified as mechanical, thermal and chemical recycling. All of these solutions have drawbacks in terms of product properties, quality, safety, cost, etc., which is why further research is needed to create or find new solutions to better manage end-of-life composite parts. A new process is proposed for reforming and reusing large glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) parts from end-of-life ships and wind turbines.