Recycling of thermoplastic composites
A more circular economy requires materials to be used and re-used efficiently. Also in the automotive and other mobility markets cars and vehicles need to be recycled as much as possible at the end of their lifetime.
Brightlands Materials Center has developed a recycling technology for thermoplastic composites that transforms waste into re-useable granular material. It offers an End-of-Life solution both for post-industrial cut-offs, rejects, waste materials and for post-consumer used products.
The unique technology aims to maintain the good mechanical properties of thermoplastic composites by retaining the length of the reinforcing fibers in the composites during the recycling process. Long fibers do not only provide high mechanical strength and stiffness, but also provide an unrivalled impact strength of the materials. In this way, waste streams are fed back into the supply chain and a waste problem is solved.
Our thermoplastic composites recycling process involves a number of well-balanced integrated process steps, starting with sorting and removing of metal parts, size reduction of materials to be recycled and a special compounding extrusion process.
PP glass fiber tape is cut and processed into granules
PP glass fiber tape is cut and processed into granules
Size reduction of thermoplastic composite component
Testing and evaluation of recycled materials for injection and other molding techniques