However, these materials present their own challenges, namely waste management, as recycling them remains complex. To give an idea of the scale of this problem, it is estimated that 10,000 aircraft will be retired worldwide in the next 20 years, and in Europe, half of the 146 GW of installed wind turbine capacity will be over 20 years old by 2030.
To address this problem, AIMPLAS, the Technological Institute of Plastics, and ITC, the Institute of Ceramic Technology, are carrying out the EROS project, whose objective is to implement a real Circular Economy system based on the recycling of wind turbine blades and waste from the aeronautical sector, allowing them to be valorized and returned to the production process to be used in the transport sector itself, but also in others such as the ceramics sector.
To achieve this, mechanical and chemical recycling processes such as solvolysis and pyrolysis are being carried out, resulting in three new products: fiberglass, carbon fiber, and glycols. The fiberglass will be applied in the form of ceramic substrates, frits, and glazes, which will make it possible to reduce the tile firing temperature. The glycols will be used to manufacture inks, while the carbon fiber will be used to produce sustainable composites for the aerospace sector.
The project also involves the companies RECICLALIA, KERABEN, FRITTA and SOFITEC, whose participation ensures that the results reach the entire value chain.
This project is part of the national R&D call for Collaborative Challenges, and is funded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.
