A composites recycling solution built by fiber processing machinery specialist Cygnet Texkimp (Cheshire, U.K.) has been commissioned by the Henry Royce Institute (Manchester, U.K.). The lab-scale DEECOM materials reclamation system will form part of an R&D program led by the institute’s materials scientists to investigate the properties of reclaimed fibers, the potential for successful resin recovery and opportunities for reuse of both elements.

The commissioned DEECOM unit. Source | Cygnet Texkimp

DEECOM was created by engineering firm Longworth (formerly B&M Longworth, Blackburn, U.K.) and developed by Cygnet Texkimp to enable the sustainable “de-manufacture” of composite materials and parts. The solution uses pressurized steam in a pressolysis process to separate and reclaim constituent fibers and polymer resins in high-quality forms, intended for reuse in the manufacture of custom composites or in other industries.

“As one of the first solely composites-focused research units to be commissioned under the new partnership between Cygnet Texkimp and B&M Longworth, this compact and flexible machine helps to accelerate learning around the fundamentals of value recovery from composite systems, not only in terms of the fiber, but also the resin chemistry,” says Cygnet Texkimp’s Gareth Davies. “We’re delighted to support the Royce Institute and its industry partners’ work in lowering the life cycle impact of composites and improving materials circularity.”

The Henry Royce Institute is the U.K.’s national institute for advanced materials research and innovation. Headquartered at the University of Manchester, it is a partnership of nine institutions including the universities of Cambridge, Imperial College London, Liverpool, Leeds, Oxford, and Sheffield, the National Nuclear Laboratory and UKAEA. Its research tackles pressing challenges facing today’s society, from providing energy for future cities to decarbonization and recyclable materials.

“We’re delighted to bring this capability on board and to make it available to the U.K. academic community and their industrial partners for collaborative investigations. As we do this, we are progressing our understanding of the challenges and opportunities to develop truly sustainable and circular processes for today’s composite materials systems and those of the future,” says Professor Bill Sampson, foundation industries challenge lead at the Henry Royce Institute.