Covestro AG (Leverkusen, Germany) is cooperating with recycling specialist carboNXT to tackle the recycling of Covestro’s continuous fiber-reinforced polycarbonate composites (CFRTPs). Covestro’s Maezio brand of CFRTPs are characterized by their extremely light weight, high strength and flexibility of design. This means that waste generated during the production of composites also becomes a valuable raw material. carboNXT has developed a process that allows the waste to be processed on an industrial scale.
The recycled polycarbonate composite is blended with new polycarbonate – the light blue granules – to form new plastic products (the black granules in front) which are tested before being launched on the market. The black test specimens, on which mechanical properties such as tensile and flexural strength are measured, serve this purpose. (source: carboNXT)
“We are very excited about this joint solution, as we cannot process the materials ourselves for technical reasons,” explains Lisa Ketelsen, Head of Thermoplastic Composites at Covestro. “By recycling according to type at our partner’s plant, the raw materials can be converted back into valuable products with similarly good properties as those characteristic of virgin materials. The recycling of materials makes it possible to use them again in other products. In this way, we save raw material resources and contribute to the focus on the circular economy.”
“Our company has many years of experience in recycling carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastics and has the necessary plant technologies to process such waste. We were therefore the partner of choice for this task,” says Tim Rademacker, general manager at Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials and responsible for the carbon fiber recycling business. “From the processed waste, we produce high-quality new compounds of carbon fiber-reinforced polycarbonate for Covestro at CarboNXT.”
Demand for such recycled products is high because they are valuable raw materials, but also because more and more industrial customers and consumers are looking for more sustainable products. The project will now be further developed to market maturity by Covestro, Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials and possibly other partners. It is part of a global strategic program with which Covestro is focusing all its energy on the circular economy.
Covestro is also collaborating with the Colour & Imaging Institute, Art & Science Research Center at the renowned Tsinghua University in Beijing to develop a study on sustainable materials from the perspective of color, material and finish (CMF).
The goal of the research project is to jointly develop solutions for an aesthetic, design-based identity of recycled materials. The empirical project is based on research findings, designs and experiments. It aims to integrate aesthetic CMF design into Covestro’s more sustainable polycarbonate material portfolio and promote a design approach that brings together aesthetic and circular design.
“While the environmental benefits and technical performance of recycled plastics have been widely researched, additional research is needed on the sensory properties of these materials and how people experience and appreciate them from an emotional and sustainability perspective,” says Dr. Christopher Stillings, Vice President and Global Head of Color & Design (CMF) in Covestro’s Polycarbonates segment. “These insights would help us learn how to differentiate these materials from a CMF perspective. They would also contribute to the business success and adoption of recycled plastics. To achieve a full circular economy, we need to synergize circular design and aesthetic design. That means innovating in materials, services and business models.”
“The industry must not only consider the technical and environmental performance of recycled materials, but also make sure they evoke an emotional response from consumers when it comes to sustainability,” says Roy Cheung, Head of Sustainability Solutions in Covestro’s Polycarbonates segment. “At Covestro, we take a holistic approach to our sustainability offerings by finding the right balance between aesthetics, functionalities and environmental footprint of sustainable material solutions.”