The Z-WasTEK project has achieved its goal by developing multiple demonstrators that enable carbon fibre to be recycled from composite parts at the end of their service life

The Z-WasTEK project started out in 2020 with a view to developing new zero-waste technologies for manufacturing composites using high-quality recycled carbon fibre and CIDETEC Surface Engineering’s patented 3R resin (repairable, recyclable and reprocessable). A new process was subsequently developed to recycle carbon fibre after it had reached what was hitherto considered the end of its service life.

Researchers at CIDETEC Surface Engineering have perfected a new chemical recycling process that leverages the intrinsic properties of the 3R resins to separate the carbon fibres from the resin and use both recycled materials to develop a range of second-generation composite materials reinforced with recycled carbon fibre.

Moreover, thanks to a newly developed high-performance adhesive based on 3R technology and capable of withstanding the stringent requirements of industries such as aeronautics, different glued parts within a single piece can be separated straightforwardly by applying heat, offering a major benefit in terms of separating and subsequently repairing damaged aeronautical components.

Z-WasTEK is part of the Basque Regional Government's Support Programme for Business R&D (HAZITEK), and is co-funded by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) via the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology. The project, led by OBE HETTICH S.L., has a budget of 2.4 million euros and will end in March 2023.

Apart from CIDETEC Surface Engineering and MTC as technology centres, the project has also counted on the participation of MARISKONE S.L., FIBERTECNIC S.A., FIBER PROFIL S.L., SEGULA TECNOLOGÍAS ESPAÑA S.A.U., IGESTEK INCREASE&WIN S.L., MAIER S.COOP. and INKOA SISTEMAS S.L.