How can CFRP prepreg scraps be reused? The “CIRCE” life project

Prepreg scraps generated during the cutting phase of virgin Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers parts typically account about 30% of the total prepreg produced. At present, these scraps end up in landfill or in incineration facilities, with relevant consequences in terms of costs and environmental impacts. In this context, a solution has been proposed within the CIRCE (Circular Economy Model for Carbon Fibre Prepregs) EU LIFE project. 5 Italian companies are collaborating to identify possible solutions to successfully reuse prepreg scraps. The companies have tested an industrial process that transform the scraps and prepare them to be processed as secondary raw material. To validate the recovery process, the manufacturing of three different composite products has been addressed: toe caps for safety footwear, carbo-ceramics brakes and automotive parts. The preliminary results demonstrated that this recovery process can be successfully employed to produce high mechanical properties composite parts with low environmental impacts.