GAIKER is conducting research into the reuse of recycled carbon and glass fibres
The RESITES project, coordinated by GAIKER, will enable the creation of new recyclable composites for the efficient manufacture of lightweight, strong and sustainable products
The GAIKER Technology Centre, a member of the Basque Research & Technology Alliance (BRTA), is coordinating the RESITES project (Revaluation of recycled glass and carbon fibres in new recyclable composites), a strategic initiative aimed at researching the optimal reuse of recycled carbon and glass fibres derived from waste and production offcuts. The aim is to improve their properties in order to create new recyclable composites, modelling their performance and processability, and thus efficiently manufacture lightweight, strong and sustainable products.
Every year, a large amount of composite waste accumulates, originating both from production offcuts and from items that have reached the end of their useful life. Although significant advances have been made in recent years in composite recycling technologies, the effective reuse of recovered fibres remains a challenge. In this context, RESITES proposes an innovative approach by researching a new generation of high-performance recyclable composites based on revalued recycled fibres and recyclable resins.
Funded by the Basque Government as part of its ELKARTEK 2025 programme of grants for collaborative research in strategic areas, this project will provide solutions in the fields of functionalisation, sizing and hybridisation of recycled reinforcing materials for their revalorisation, the formulation of prepregs, recyclable composites and additive manufacturing materials, as well as in the modelling of materials and processes.
As a result of this initiative, it is anticipated that, at laboratory scale, various experimental developments will be achieved involving revalued glass and carbon fibres, thermoplastic organosheets, recyclable SMC (both thermoplastic and thermosetting), and 3D printing pellets/filaments. Furthermore, models will be developed to predict the behaviour and processability of recyclable prepregs reinforced with recycled fibres.
The GAIKER Technology Centre, an expert in the development of sustainable polymeric materials with improved functional and structural performance, not only coordinates the project but also participates in several of its work streams:
- Comprehensive revaluation of recycled glass and carbon fibres through the development of sustainable composite materials and advanced processing techniques. Research focuses on both the chemical treatment and dosing of short fibres in products such as SMC, GMT and non-woven fabrics, and on the optimisation of these fabrics through oriented reinforcements and hybrid lamination.
- Development of prepregs using reactive (reprocessable) thermoplastic resins.
- Study of both mechanical and chemical recycling methods to ensure the full circularity of the new materials developed.
