ELG and Aerocircular N.V. develop closed-loop recycling scheme for end-of-life aircraft

ELG Carbon Fibre and Aerocircular N.V, Ostend-Bruges, Belgium, join forces to establish a closed-loop recycling scheme for end-of-life aircraft CFRP waste streams. The companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to demonstrate their mutual commitment towards this initiative.

"Today, composite EoL fractions are typically shredded and burned or landfilled", says Aerocircular CEO Koen Staut. "By joining forces with ELG Carbon Fibre as an established international player in the field of carbon recycling, the ambition is to establish a closed-loop recycling process of our EoL aircraft carbon composite material stream, maximizing value via a joint approach in further developing the recycling process and new product development using this reclaimed carbon fibre".

Stein Janssens, Director R&D adds: "This collaboration with ELG will allow a robust, economically viable recycling flow with impact on industrial scale. Doing so, every ton of carbon fibre from the aircraft we process to new material, saves 20 tons of GWP CO2eq. at only 1/10th of the energy required compared to producing virgin carbon fibre".

Frazer Barnes, Managing Director of ELG Carbon Fibre states: "Recycling post-industrial waste from aircraft manufacturing activities has demonstrated the economic, technical and environmental benefits that this new class of materials can deliver. By working with Aerocircular and expanding our activities into post-consumer waste from end-of-life aircraft, we are preparing to address the challenge that will be faced when carbon fibre intensive structures reach the end of their lives. This is an important step in ensuring that the carbon fibre composites industry plays its part in meeting the environmental challenges we all face".