A Review on the Recycling Technologies of Fibre-Reinforced Plastic (FRP) Materials Used in Industrial Fields

Abstract

Fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP) materials are attracting growing interest because of their high specific mechanical properties. These characteristics, in addition to a high level of tailorability and design of freedom, make them attractive for marine, aerospace, automotive, sports and energy applications. However, the large use of this class of material dramatically increases the amount of waste that derives from end-of-life products and offcuts generated during the manufacturing processes. In this context, especially when thermosetting matrices are considered, the need to deeply study the recycling process of FRPs is an open topic both in academic and industrial research. This review aims to present the current state of the art of the most affirmed recycling technologies used for polymeric composites commonly used in industrial applications, such as carbon and glass FRPs. Each recycling method (i.e., chemical, thermal and mechanical) was analysed in terms of technological solutions and process parameters required for matrix dissolution and fibre recovery, showing their advantages, drawbacks, applications and properties of the recycled composites. Therefore, the aim of this review is to offer an extensive overview of the recycling process of polymeric composite materials, which is useful to academic and industrial researchers that work on this topic.

Applications of Plasma Technologies in Recycling Processes

“…Although polymer matrices in wind turbine blades are much more valuable for recycling than glass fibres, this means that the plasma gasification of wind turbine blades produces significant amounts of degraded glass while also producing a limited amount of syngas, even in comparison to the regular plasma gasification process, which is unfavourable. Therefore, the wind energy community considers that it is cheapest to directly dispose of FRPs in landfills, and this is what is done in the majority of cases [246][247][248][249]. In this respect, it may be considered that wind energy is not an environmentally friendly green technology.…”

Modular Housing Using Fibre-Reinforced Plastic Polymers (FRPs)

“…As these guidelines suggest, the presented research is oriented towards the use of structural and cladding elements to build walls with air spaces, based on glass fibres. This choice satisfies the listed requests, with FRPs being a recyclable [32] and lightweight material, allowing for easy transport and rapid assembly, even by unskilled workers.…”

From Generation to Reuse: A Circular Economy Strategy Applied to Wind Turbine Production

“…Although composite materials offer great opportunities in engineering, their integration into a circular economy strategy remains a challenge. This is due to the specific characteristics and properties of composite materials, as well as the limited availability of sustainable waste management technologies for end-of-life materials [4]. There are several limitations when choosing to deal with composite materials in circular approaches, in terms of the limited known applications and the lack of innovation.…”