Toray Advanced Composites, Daher, and Tarmac have launched a new end-of-life aerospace recycling program for commercial aircraft production, in collaboration with Airbus. The program aims to develop a closed-loop recycling system for composite materials, starting with the reuse of secondary structural thermoplastic parts from end-of-life Airbus A380 aircraft. The partnership will work together to dismantle components without damage, reshape and repurpose parts, and monitor material quality for second-life applications. The initial focus is on recycling the A380 pylon cover, made from Toray’s Cetex TC1100 thermoplastic composite structure. With over 10,000 parts on the A380 made from continuous fibre-reinforced thermoplastic composites, the project aims to test and validate recycling practices. The goal is to reduce the industry’s environmental impact by developing new methodologies for recycling, repurposing, and reprocessing composite materials. Toray’s CEO, Scott Unger, emphasizes the potential of thermoplastic materials for recycling and the importance of reusing and reintegrating high-performance materials into structural aerospace applications.
Enhancing the recycling process for composite materials used in Airbus production
