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

VIBES project presents an innovative solution to resolve the end-of-life issues of thermoset composites based on the development of a new green technology focused on the controlled separation and recovery of composite material components by means of developing customised biobased bonding materials (BBM). BBM are biobased chemical moieties that will decompose under specific external stimuli (temperature, UV or electrical pulse) allowing the separation between the matrix and the reinforcing material, and facilitating the dissociation of the polymer chains of the resins to favour their efficient processing and recycling through a green washing bath, recovering the monomers/oligomers and fibres for their upcycling into new products. VIBES will study and combine three different chemical approaches to obtain BBM: vitrimers, Diels-Alder, and supramolecular architectures. VIBES project will directly contribute to achieve SIRA’s objectives in KPI1, KPI2, KPI5 and KPI8 and to demonstrate the solution decreasing the amount of non-biodegradable polymers sent to disposal or discharged to the environment by at least 40%. VIBES consortium involves 13 partners (industrially driven): 4 RTD (AITIIP, LEITAT, ULIM and DITF), 7 SME (SP, BCIRC, F&D, ARCHA, Q-PLAN, IDEC and JUNO), 1 Large Companies (ACC), and 1 OTHER (PLATA) accounting to 3 BIC associated (AITIIP, LEITAT, and ULIM). The proposed 48-months will comprise a total estimated budget of 5,299,800 €; being the 20.3% covered by consortium own contribution (in-kinds) and adding 524,311€ in additional investments during the project implementation and 9,385,000€ envisaged to upgrade TRL after the end of the project. Benefits will be significant in terms of companies growth (23.2%), increasing jobs (37 direct, 1800 indirect) and turnover (124M€) by promoting at least 2 new sector interconnections in the new created “Intrinsic Recyclable Thermoset Composites Value Chain”