PFINZTAL, Germany—As carbon fiber-reinforced plastics continue to become major components of aircraft, it’s increasing the need for sustainable recycling concepts. Engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology (ICT) recently developed a process that converts recycled carbon fiber into materials for batteries and fuel cells.
“Today, wide-body aircraft consist of more than 50 percent carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP),” says Elisa Seiler, an ICT engineer. “The amounts of CFRP recycling material are tremendous. For the Airbus 350, for example, they add up to more than 65 tons. In addition to this, there are other relevant scrap quantities that already arise during production.”