TOOLing materials, design, and process engineering, leading to improved sustainability and wider applications for the composites of tomorrow

Introduction

Composite materials permit the reduction of weight at no compromise on rigidity and resistance wherever they are applied. However, heavy issues on their actual sustainability have arisen due to the intrinsic difficulty in recycling thermosetting resin matrices.

Research Efforts

In recent times, significant research efforts have been dedicated to the recycling of composites. Sustainability stems from the circularity of the materials across their entire value chain. The pre-processing of composites relies on the application of tooling such as molds, while thermosetting foam heavily impacts the global composites balance, being intrinsically non-recyclable and typically landfilled after their function is over. This remains an open issue to be solved.

TOOL4LIFE Project

The TOOL4LIFE project manufactures tooling in thermoplastic materials using hybrid technology (AM followed by milling and in-mould coating).

Benefits of the Process

The process enables the following benefits:

• Use of 20% to 25% polymer material
• 33% less energy consumption
• Emission of only 9.2% of the CO2 equivalent compared to the State of the Art (SoA)
• Complete recyclability after use

Furthermore, the solution is fully retrofittable in the composites processing due to the in-mould sealant, demoulding, and finishing agents, which have been purposely developed with a water-based platform.

Deployment and Economic Impact

The project will be deployed at the facilities of BERCELLA, an Italian composite manufacturer. It is expected to repay itself in the short term, thanks to the savings and revenue multiplication associated with the reduced market costs for composites.

Future Growth

Third-party manufacturing is anticipated to multiply the business up to the saturation of manufacturing capacity in the medium term. Long-term exploitation foresees installations at the licensors' sites. Such accelerated deployment beyond the initial site is expected to generate revenues and facilitate a rapid rate of adoption.

Environmental Contribution

The project actively contributes to the effective reduction of CO2 emissions, energy savings, reduced landfilling, and the creation of a healthier world for citizens.