Skip to content
1981
Volume 23, Issue 2
  • ISSN: 1474-2748
  • E-ISSN: 2040-0551

Abstract

We present a comprehensive review of recent techno-economic analyses concerning the recycling of fibre-reinforced thermoset polymers, delving into the strategies employed. Additionally, we offer insights into the critical issues that necessitate consideration when evaluating solutions for valorizing these materials. Our emphasis lies in advocating for a demand-driven, entrepreneurial approach focused on identifying viable industrial applications for recycled materials, forming the foundation for sustainable techno-economic solutions and viable circular business models. We underscore the imperative for initial public intervention to regulate the recycling process, alter stakeholders’ incentives and effectively coordinate actions across involved value chains.

Funding
This study was supported by the:
  • Ecosistema dell’innovazione – Rome Technopole (Award 1051 23.06.2022 – CUP H33C22000420001)
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1386/tmsd_00088_1
2024-08-27
2026-04-11

Metrics

Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Airplane, Boneyards (n.d.), ‘Davis-Monthan Air Force Boneyard in Tucson: Layout, operations, tours, and maps’, https://www.airplaneboneyards.com/davis-monthan-afb-amarg-airplane-boneyard.htm. Accessed 12 August 2024.
  2. Aliplast Official Website (2023), ‘Gruppo Herambiente, CURTI e Università di Bologna insieme per riciclare la fibra di carbonio’, 27 February, https://www.aliplastspa.com/media/news/alipl-carbon-imola. Accessed 18 March 2023.
  3. Altenburg, Tilman and Rodrik, Dani (2017), ‘Green industrial policy: Accelerating structural change towards wealthy green economies’, in T. Altenburg and C. Assmann (eds), Green Industrial Policy: Concept, Policies, Country Experiences, Geneva and Bonn: UN Environment and German Development Institute/Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitk (DIE), pp. 120.
    [Google Scholar]
  4. APER (2022), ‘Recyclage des composites: l’Aper et Composite Recycling s’engagent dans un partenariat ambitieux’, press release, 13 December, https://www.recyclermonbateau.fr/recyclage-des-composites-laper-et-composite-recycling-sengagent-dans-un-partenariat-ambitieux/. Accessed 12 April 2023.
  5. Balke, Verena, Evans, Steve, Rabbiosi, Liazzat and Monnery, Sandra Averous (2017), ‘Promoting circular economies’, in T. Altenbourg and C. Assmann (eds), Green Industrial Policy: Accelerating Structural Change Towards Wealthy Green Economies, Geneva and Bonn: UNEnvironment and German Development Institute/Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitk (DIE), pp. 12133.
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Boeing (2007), ‘Aircraft and composite recycling: 2007 Boeing commitment update’, Environmental Technotes, 12:1, pp. 14, https://www.boeingsuppliers.com/environmental/TechNotes/TNdec07.pdf. Accessed 16 June 2024.
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Colledani, Marcello, Turri, Stefano and Diani, Marco (2022), ‘The FiberEUse demand-driven, cross-sectorial, circular economy approach’, in M. Colledani and S. Turri (eds), Systemic Circular Economy Solutions for Fiber Reinforced Composites, Cham: Springer, pp. 1735.
    [Google Scholar]
  8. CSR Europe, Leonardo and Bax & Company (2022), Composite Materials: A Hidden Opportunity for the Circular Economy, Brussels: CSR Europe, https://www.csreurope.org/download-blueprint-composite-materials. Accessed 14 April 2024.
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Dosi, Giovanni (1982), ‘Technological paradigms and technological trajectories: A suggested interpretation of the determinants and directions of technical change’, Research Policy, 22:2, pp. 10203.
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Dosi, Giovanni (1988), ‘Sources, procedures, and microeconomic effects of innovation’, Journal of Economic Literature, 26:3, pp. 112071.
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2015), Delivering the Circular Economy: A Toolkit for Policymakers, Cowes: Ellen MacArthur Foundation, https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/a-toolkit-for-policymakers. Accessed 13 April 2024.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Enriquez, Santiago, Sánchez-Triana, Ernesto and Guerra López, Mayra Gabriela (2021), ‘Economic instruments and financial mechanisms for the adoption of a circular economy’, in L. Liu and S. Ramakrishna (eds), An Introduction to Circular Economy, Singapore: Springer, pp. 45582.
    [Google Scholar]
  13. European Commission (2014), Scoping Study to Identify Potential Circular Economy Actions, Priority Sectors, Material Flows and Value Chains: Final Report, Luxembourg: DG for Environment Publications Office, https://www.eesc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/resources/docs/scoping-study.pdf. Accessed 13 April 2024.
    [Google Scholar]
  14. Fischer, Christian, Lehner, Mathias and McKinnon, David Lindsay (2012), ‘Overview of the use of landfill taxes in Europe’, working paper, Copenhagen: The European Topic Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production (ETC/SCP).
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Hedlund-Åström, Anna (2005), ‘Model for end-of-life treatment of polymer composite materials’, Ph.D. thesis, Stockholm: KTH.
    [Google Scholar]
  16. JEC Group (2024), ‘JEC Observer Overview of the Global Composites Market 2023–2028’, JEC COMPOSITES Magazine, 8, February, pp. 1636.
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Kirchherr, Julien, Hekkert, Marko, Bour, Rouben, Huijbrechtse-Truijens, Anne, Kostense-Smit, Erica and Muller, Jennifer (2017), Breaking the Barriers to the Circular Economy, Utrecht: Deloitte the Netherlands and Universiteit van Utrecht, https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/356517. Accessed 14 April 2024.
    [Google Scholar]
  18. Labor (2023), ‘RIMATE: “Advanced technologies for the recycling of thermosetting materials”’, 13 December, https://www.labor-eu.net/2023/12/13/rimater/. Accessed 9 July 2024.
  19. Leng, Ron and Anderson, John (2022), ‘Chapter 21: Techno-economic analyses’, in B. A. Perlmutter (ed.), Integration and Optimization of Unit Operations, Matthews, NC: Elsevier, pp. 373412.
    [Google Scholar]
  20. Li, Xiang, Bai, Ruibin and McKechnie, John (2016), ‘Environmental and financial performance of mechanical recycling of carbon fibre reinforced polymers and comparison with conventional disposal routes’, Journal of Cleaner Production, 127, 20 July, pp. 45160.
    [Google Scholar]
  21. Maaß, Svenja (2020), ‘Aircraft recycling: A literature review’, Ph.D. thesis, Hamburg: Haw Hamburg.
    [Google Scholar]
  22. Mazzucato, Mariana (2013), The Entrepreneurial State: Debunking Public vs. Private Sector Myths, rev. ed., New York: PublicAffairs™.
    [Google Scholar]
  23. Mazzucato, Mariana (2015), ‘The green entrepreneurial state’, in I. Scoons, M. Leach and P. Newell (eds), The Politics of Green Transformations, London: Routledge, pp. 13451.
    [Google Scholar]
  24. Meng, Fanran (2017), ‘Environmental and cost analysis of carbon fibre composites recycling’, Ph.D. thesis, Nottingham: University of Nottingham.
    [Google Scholar]
  25. Meng, Fanran, Cui, Yuanlong, Pickering, Steve and McKechnie, Jon (2020), ‘From aviation to aviation: Environmental and financial viability of closed-loop recycling of carbon fibre composite’, Composites Part B, 200, 1 November, pp. 18.
    [Google Scholar]
  26. Murphy, Kevin M., Shleifer, Andrei and Vishny, Robert W. (1989), ‘Industrialization and the Big Push’, Journal of Political Economy, 97:5, pp. 100326.
    [Google Scholar]
  27. OECD (2009), ‘Sustainable manufacturing and eco-innovation: Framework, practices and measurement’, policy brief, Paris: OECD.
    [Google Scholar]
  28. Oliveux, Géraldine, Dandy, Luke O. and Leeke, Gary A. (2015), ‘Current status of recycling of fibre reinforced polymers: Review of technologies, reuse and resulting properties’, Progress in Materials Science, 72, July, pp. 6199.
    [Google Scholar]
  29. Orveillon, Glenn, Pierri, Erika, Egle, Lukas, Gerbendahl, Amanda, Wessman, Peter, Garcia John, Enrique and Saveyn, Hans (2022), Scoping Possible Further EU-Wide End-of-Waste and By-Product Criteria, Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC128647. Accessed 24 February 2023.
    [Google Scholar]
  30. Pimenta, Soraia and Pinho, Silvestre T. (2011), ‘Recycling carbon fiber reinforced polymers for structural applications: Technology review and market outlook’, Waste Management, 31:2, pp. 37892.
    [Google Scholar]
  31. Redding, Stephen (1996), ‘The low-skill, low-quality trap: Strategic complementarities between human capital and R&D’, The Economic Journal, 106:435, pp. 45870.
    [Google Scholar]
  32. Rosenstein-Rodan, Paul Narcyz (1943), ‘Problems of industrialisation of Eastern and South-Eastern Europe’, The Economic Journal, 53:210–211, pp. 20211.
    [Google Scholar]
  33. Shehab, Essam, Meiirbekov, Arshyn, Amantayeva, Aknyiet, Suleimen, Aidar, Tokbolat, Serik and Sarfraz, Shoaib (2021), ‘A cost modelling system for recycling carbon fiber-reinforced composites’, Polymers, 13:23, pp. 420820.
    [Google Scholar]
  34. Suschem (2018), Polymer Composites Circularity, Brussels: Suschem, https://www.suschem.org/files/library/Suschem_composites_circularity_final_preview.pdf. Accessed 3 April 2024.
    [Google Scholar]
  35. Vo Dong, Phuong Anh, Azzaro-Pantel, Catherine and Cadene, Anne-Laure (2018), ‘Economic and environmental assessment of recovery and disposal pathways for CFRP waste management’, Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 133, June, pp. 6375.
    [Google Scholar]
  36. Vo Dong, Phuong Anh, Azzaro-Pantel, Catherine and Boix, Marianne (2019), ‘A multi-period optimisation approach for deployment and optimal design of an aerospace CFRP waste management supply chain’, Waste Management, 95, 15 July, pp. 20116.
    [Google Scholar]
  37. Wei, Ye and Hadigheh, Ali (2020), ‘Cost benefit and life cycle analysis of CFRP and GFRP waste treatment methods’, Construction and Building Materials, 348, 19 September, pp. 112.
    [Google Scholar]
  38. WindEurope, Cefic and EuCIA (2020), Accelerating Wind Turbine Blade Circularity, Brussels: European Wind Energy Association (WindEurope), https://windeurope.org/wp-content/uploads/files/about-wind/reports/WindEurope-Accelerating-wind-turbine-blade-circularity.pdf. Accessed 14 April 2024.
    [Google Scholar]
  39. Witten, Elmar and Mathes, Volker (2024), The European Market for Fiber Reinforced Plastics/Composites 2023: Market Developments, Trends, Challenges and Prospects, February, Frankfurt am Main: AVK, pp. 142, https://www.avk-tv.de/files/publications/files/avk_marketreport_2024_final_eng.pdf. Accessed 14 April 2024.
    [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1386/tmsd_00088_1
Loading
/content/journals/10.1386/tmsd_00088_1
Loading

Data & Media loading...

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a success
Invalid data
An error occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error
Please enter a valid_number test