On November 13, the Development Center for Maintenance of Composites (DCMC) and Business Park Aviolanda organized the innovation event “Recycling of Composites in MRO”. It brought together experts and industry leaders to discuss solutions for the End-of-Life (EOL) of aircraft, with a focus on themes such as re-use, recycling and recovery. Speakers shared valuable insights and current developments in the field, with a focus on composites.
Highlights of the event
- Aethos Foundation (Derk-Jan van Heerden) explained the work and business models of EOL companies. His foundation is committed to removing legal and economic bottlenecks that hinder the sector. Finding solutions for materials from scrapped aircraft that are not yet recyclable is part of this work.
- Green Chemistry Campus (Peggy de Neef) explained ongoing research around the 10 levels of circularity, also called the10Rs. She shared concrete examples of innovations around recycling, re-use and re-purpose of plastics and FRPs.
- Delft University of Technology (Diwakar Singh) discussed chemical methods and pyrolysis as potential solutions for composite recycling.
- Windesheim (Albert ten Busschen) presented applications where composite materials, such as GFRP, are reused in infrastructure products such as bridge panels and risers.
- ACRATS (Moki den Braber) introduced temporary repair techniques for CFRP structures with removable repair patches. He also presented a new online platform for trading unused materials.
- TNO (Pedro Abelhavan) discussed developments and research results surrounding chemical recycling and pyrolysis of FRPs. Current limitations, such as fiber degradation in glass fibers and the high energy consumption of pyrolysis, were also talked about.
- NLR (Marco Nawijn) presented analysis tools to extend the life of composites and minimize maintenance. He also gave practical examples.
The event presented a clear picture of the current state of composite recycling and emphasized the importance of cooperation and innovation in the sector.
DCMC events 2025/2026
Next editions of these innovation events are already scheduled. Please add the dates below to your agenda.
- 2025: Wednesday May 21 and Wednesday November 12
- 2026: Wednesday, May 20 and Wednesday, November 18
