Title: Information exchanges between experts for thermoset composites design for recycling

Authors: Nicolas Perry; Stéphane Pompidou; Olivier Mantaux

Addresses: I2M – UMR 5295 – Arts et Métiers ParisTech, F-33400 Talence, France ' I2M – UMR 5295 – IUT Bordeaux 1, F-33175 Gradignan, France ' I2M – UMR 5295 – IUT Bordeaux 1, F-33175 Gradignan, France

Abstract: The use of composites in industry is ever increasing. However, end-of-life solutions for composites are still under development. In this paper, a solution linking design strategies with a recycling process for thermoset composite materials is proposed. The recovery solution for these materials is a supercritical water solvolysis process. The needs and multi-disciplinary skills required for taking recycling possibilities into account in the early stages of product design and the necessity to standardise product-recycling capabilities based on design requirements will be discussed. The paper highlights the need for designers to take a functional approach into consideration, including characterisation of materials behaviour, recycling process limits, constraints and opportunities. This paper will show the first lessons learned from experiments, using this technique.

Keywords: design for recycling; eco-design; organic matrix composites; composite recycling; knowledge exchange; information exchange; thermoset composites; end-of-life composites; EOL; supercritical water solvolysis; product design; product recycling capabilities; design requirements.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEWM.2014.060446

International Journal of Environment and Waste Management, 2014 Vol.13 No.4, pp.396 - 411

Accepted: 08 May 2013
Published online: 13 May 2014 *

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