Glass, aramid or carbon fibres - reinforced polymer composites are an essential part of the net zero future due to their high specific properties, ie high mechanical performance at a relatively low weight delivering fuel efficiency for all modes of transportation. That is why they are often referred as lightweight composite materials.

Unfortunately the high performance polymer matrices used to bind the fibres together in composites are notoriously difficult to recycle.

This proposal is targeting the Epoxy Tooling Board (ETB) market which relies on similar polymer matrices. ETBs are the important initial step in the manufacture of polymer composite parts, but they are essentially single use plastic. Whether it is during industrial manufacture of ETBs or during their use at end users sites, the waste created (mainly chippings & dust generated during machining) are sent to landfill or incinerated.

At end users sites, the ETBs are bonded together, and the resulting assembly is turned into a complex substrate. The high definition shape and quality of this complex substrate will determine the final shape and surface quality of the composite part. However, once the substrate has served its (single-use) purpose, it is destroyed and disposed of due to design confidentiality, generally through the same routes of landfill or incineration.

Despite this situation, ETBs are a mainstay of the automotive and Formula 1 industry, which is so well represented here in the UK. This makes it a very important product for the UK market - around 1500m3 of this product is expected to be used in the UK.

This proposal will revolutionise the process of recycling both the machining waste and end of life product by focussing on the reactive components of the recipe. We are working with a new generation of recyclable resin chemistry. This chemistry will deliver a similar end product performance but with thermoplastic-like recycling potential. Such a technology does not currently exist in the marketplace.

The product development expertise and market application knowledge of Reactive Components Ltd will be used to assess, evaluate and integrate the new resin technology into an industrial recipe fit to be used at Tier 2's sites and validated at end users' site.

A lifecycle analysis software will be used to benchmarking existing single-use practice and contrast it with the new resin technology-based processes.

Ultimately manufacturers and end users will be able to reduce their carbon footprint by using this innovative product.