The ELIOT project will improve the environmental sustainability of aeronautics with new biocomposite recycling methods.

In anticipation of strong growth in the coming decades, the aeronautical sector is working on the development of promising technologies to minimize its impact on the environment.

High-performance composites have established themselves as one of the keys to reducing aircraft weight and, consequently, reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Furthermore, the sector has also addressed the development of biocomposites that use natural fibers as reinforcement and resins from renewable sources.

Despite all the advantages of these high-performance composites, there is no efficient solution for their management when they reach the end of their useful life and become waste. Their heterogeneity and thermosetting nature make their recovery complicated, even more so in the case of biocomposites due to the novelty of the material and because, unlike conventional composites, they do not contain carbon fibers with a high market value.

ELIOT Project

With the goal of developing new, cost-efficient recycling technologies that enable the aeronautical industry to ensure the sustainability of its components, AIMPLAS is coordinating the European ELIOT project. The project, which launched last July and is scheduled to last 32 months, also includes the participation of the Dutch TNO center. During its development, various recycling methods will be analyzed, from mechanical to thermal, chemical to biological.

In the search for new solutions aligned with the Circular Economy to achieve the recovery of biocomposites, the project will review current composite recycling technologies to analyze the most feasible alternatives, then adapt them to the characteristics of biocomposites and test them on a laboratory scale. Finally, the project plans to demonstrate their technical feasibility on a pre-industrial scale.

The ELIOT project has received funding from the European Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Clean Sky Joint Technology Initiative, under grant agreement number 886416.