SPARTA PROJECT - Newsletter OCT 2022

SCRAP OF THERMOPLASTIC COMPOSITES MATERIALS

INDEX:
The SPARTA project comes to an end developing a new successful recycling solution for aeronautics | Watch the project final video | SPARTA, presented at numerous industrial and scientific key events

The SPARTA project comes to an end developing a new successful recycling solution for aeronautics

The SPARTA project comes to an end with the development of a new recycling solution for aeronautics that allows up to 80% of thermoplastic materials to be reused.
This innovative solution allows to advance towards sustainable recycling by obtaining new high-quality thermoplastic composite products, manufactured with recycled materials, in which up to 80% of the waste is used compared to other recycling methods, and with a production cost between 15% and 20% lower than that of current mechanical recycling and scrap reprocessing processes, thanks to the reduction in the number of operations and the automation of manufacturing processes.

The mechanical properties of the secondary materials that are obtained through conventional mechanical recycling methods, such as grinding, electrodynamic fragmentation, laser cutting or machining, are poor. In addition, these recycling processes require intensive energy consumption. With this novel method, significant results have been achieved compared to the mechanical properties of the virgin compound with an estimated mechanical loss of less than 10%.

In addition, the methodology developed by AIMPLAS and TEKNIKER allows processing time to be reduced by up to 50%, thanks to the reduction of steps for waste recovery and reprocessing through more efficient automatic methods, as well as reducing CO2 emissions by up to 30%, thanks to the use of waste and reduction in the demand for production of virgin material.

It is important to avoid current landfill and incineration practices of composite materials to encourage the development of a cost-effective recycling method and therefore extend the lifetime of materials by promoting the circular economy. The results of this project are fully aligned with the ambitious challenges to achieve clean aviation through eco-design and the optimization of processes and resources, thus promoting the competitiveness and sustainable economic growth of the aeronautical industry. Furthermore, the project results of the environmental and economic impact analysis using the "cradle-to-gate" approach will allow updating the database of the eco-design Transversal Activity (TA) proposed in CS2.

Watch the project final video

We are happy to share the final video of the SPARTA project. Find out all the processes that have been carried out to achieve this new solution for recycling and reusing thermoplastic material. The main researchers of the project tell and show first-hand the results of this research.

https://youtu.be/VX15x9IwoZI

SPARTA, presented at numerous industrial and scientific key events

In this last period, the SPARTA project has been presented in numerous reference events both in the industrial and scientific fields. Publicizing the final results of the research and disseminating the achievements have been the objectives of the participation in these forums.

Aerospace & Defense Meetings (June 2022).

It is a biennial meeting that gathers the most important international companies and professionals in the aerospace industry. AIMPLAS participated in the exhibition area and provided information to attendees about the SPARTA project.

CNMAT, National Material Congress (June-July 2022).

With around 400 participants, the researchers presented papers on the latest advances in processing, properties, characterization and behaviour of materials with applications in multiple technological fields; structural and functional materials, sustainable materials, materials for ICTs, energy, health or construction, among many others. AIMPLAS provided information to attendees about the SPARTA project in its stand.

Advanced Manufacturing Madrid (October 2022).

SPARTA showcased its thermoplastic composite at the Innovation Area of this event, the perfect place to disseminate this innovative product to more than 15,000 professionals and stand out among the 600 participating brands. This is a real meeting and business point for the entire manufacturing industry, thanks to the union of its three events: MetalMadrid, Robótica and Composites Madrid.

12th EASN International Conference on "Innovation in Aviation & Space for opening New Horizons” (October 2022).

The SPARTA project was presented in this important conference for the aviation sector.

K Trade Fair (October 2022).

As the leading fair for the plastics and rubber industry, this international event is the best place to present the latest innovations and developments in the field. AIMPLAS offered attendees information about the SPARTA project at its stand.

Eco-clip final workshop (October 2022).

The project has also been presented at the final workshop of the Eco-clip project, another innovative research in the aeronautics field, focused on the recycling of continuous fiber LMPAEK to develop a new material for structural components of aircrafts.

This project has received funding from the Clean Sky 2 Joint Undertaking under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 887073 https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/887073/es