The joint project ‘CirProTech - Circular Production Polymer Technologies’ is being carried out as part of the third funding phase of the Open Hybrid LabFactory (OHLF) research campus. In view of global challenges in dealing with plastics, sustainable production is becoming increasingly important, as the EU targets for recycling quotas in the mobility sector show. Traditional, linear production methods cause considerable environmental pollution and resource utilisation, particularly through climate-damaging greenhouse gases. Many plastic components are used in the mobility sector, especially in the automotive industry, which presents the industry with a profound transformation towards sustainable use. The aerospace industry is also showing increasing interest in the use of recycled materials, especially carbon fibre composites (CFRP).
Start 01.03.2025, End 28.02.2030
Funding source: BMBF
Associated Partners:
The aim of the project is to develop and implement sustainable, closed-loop material cycles for plastic and CFRP components. The project focusses on two use cases: plastic recycling for automotive components and the recycling of CFRP structures. By switching to circular production processes, the aim is to reduce the need for primary resources and minimise waste. This improves the ecological balance and opens up economic opportunities for sustainable companies.
Important challenges include ensuring sufficient quantities of high-quality recycled materials and the technological development of reuse processes. Methods for detecting plastic types and carbon fibre qualities as well as transparent, data-driven production are also required. Close cooperation along the entire value chain and cross-industry standards are also crucial for successful implementation. To realise closed-loop CFRP recycling, plasma-assisted pyrolysis (PAP) is being researched in order to recycle CFRP ecologically and economically. The aim is to recover undamaged carbon fibres for reuse in new CFRP components, while organic components are converted into usable pyrolysis products. To this end, a new approach to the use of microwave plasmas is being researched in order to thermochemically convert organic resins in the CFRP composite without damaging the carbon fibres too much. Modern spectroscopic methods such as FTIR and THz spectroscopy are used in the recycling of plastics. These make it possible to precisely analyse and efficiently sort even black plastics and painted surfaces. Research is also being conducted into how paints and coatings can be removed using new processes such as flash annealing. Recycling processes are to be optimised by combining data-based methods and life cycle engineering. The aim is sustainable value creation and the transition to a genuine circular economy.