Fibre reinforced thermoset composites (FRTCs) are attractive materials for high demanding sectors, such as automotive or construction, due to their lightweight and excellent mechanical properties. However, the lack of reprocessability and difficulty for repairing and recycling significantly increases the overall material cost and causes grave environmental concerns. Additionally, the vast majority of polymer matrices and fibres used in their manufacturing are non-renewable fossil-derived materials or require high amounts of energy for their production. Aiming at addressing those limitations by involving the European bio-based industry, ECOXY will develop innovative bio-based epoxy resins and fibre reinforcements to produce new sustainable and techno-economically competitive FRTCs by targeting advanced functionalities: reparability, reprocessability and recyclability (3R). The 3R functionalities will be achieved by using new resin formulations replacing commonly used curing agents by dynamic hardeners, which under certain operational makes possible to: 1) repair fibre/matrix delamination and matrix micro-cracks, 2) reprocess cured laminates could be reprocessed to create new 3D parts (impossible with traditional FRTCs), 3) mechanical and chemical recycling. Thus, ECOXY will develop: 1) tailor-made bio-based epoxy monomers (including biorefinery products), 2) upgraded and functional bio-based fibres (natural and PLA), 3) specific formulations for FRTCs manufacturing processes (RTM, wet compression moulding and pultrusion) and 4) additional functionalities such as flame-retardancy for 3R resin and self healing for fibres. The selected prototypes will be validated for automotive and construction sectors using relevant standards and applicable certifications. Besides, an environmental (LCA) and socio-economic assessment of the results will be carried out. The well balanced composition of the consortium, 6 SME, 6 RTO and 1 academia gives ECOXY the maximum chance of succ

BIZENTE project presents an innovative solution to resolve the end-of-life of thermoset composites based on the development of a new technology focused on a controlled enzymatic biodegradation. BIZENTE technology will contribute to decrease the amount of non-biodegradable polymers currently discharged to the environment or sent to landfill and incineration in at least a 40%. The solution will imply opening a biocatalytic process to new type of feedstock (3 thermoset resins and composites) not previously approached in the plastics value chain. BIZENTE will determine directed enzyme evolution strategies to improve ligninolytic oxidoreductases which have been selected as the most suited biocatalysts to degrade the three types of thermoset composites addressed in the project (epoxy, polyester and vinylester). Once this new technology has been optimised and scaled-up to a pilot environment, the biodegradation products will be valorised into new building blocks for the chemical industry. BIZENTE project will directly contribute to achieve SIRA’s in KPI1, KPI2 and KPI8. BIZENTE consortium involves 10 partners: 3 RTD (Aitiip, UCA and TuDelft), 5 SME (EvoEnzyme, BSP, SP, PLATA and ECRT), and 2 Large Companies (ACCIONA and AED), accounting to 1 BIC full member (BIOPHERE) and 3 associated (AITIIP, UCA, TUDELFT). It involves partners from 5 EU countries (ES, NL, FR, IT, DK). The 48-months proposed will comprise a total estimated budget of 3,182,571 €; being the 21,2% covered by consortium own contribution (in-kinds) and adding 223,764.5 € in additional activities during the project implementation and 2,350,000 € envisaged to upgrade TRL after the end of the project. Benefits will be significant in terms of EU growth (13,1%) and increasing jobs (16 direct, 1000 indirect) by promoting at least 2 new sector interconnections in the new created “enzymatic circular VC for composite materials”.

ESTELLA is an ambitious initiative that proposes an innovative solution to improve the recyclability of low-recyclable materials: thermosetting composites. To this end, ESTELLA will work on the design of novel bio-based epoxy resins with inherent recyclability capabilities thanks to the introduction of Covalent Adaptive Network (CAN) in the original epoxy structure. CAN will provide the thermosetting epoxy resin with the ability to respond to certain stimulus that changes the state of its microstructure and thus, the ability to be reprocessed/re-polymerized (return to original monomers and fibres). A similar strategy will be applied to existing fossil-based epoxy formulations. In this way, the thermoset can be reprocessed or re-polymerized into new products and the fibres can be recovered as well. In addition, fibres of renewable origin will be used as reinforcement to manufacturing thermoset composites. ESTELLA research will address recycling techniques of any nature (chemical, biological and mechanical) to guarantee that the materials developed during the project can be successfully separated into their components in a safe and cost-effective way, hence maximizing the revenue of recycling activities. The validation of the developed recyclable materials will be carried out through economically and environmentally efficient manufacture processes (out-of-autoclave). Thus, new bio-composites will be designed and developed based on the premises of improving recyclability while meeting the demands of different sectors such as construction and leisure/mobility. Also, extensive work will be carried out to leverage the industrial application of the technologies and materials developed, taking into account safety, techno-economic, regulatory and intellectual property aspects.