CompoRec – Advanced Composite Recycling for added value applications

The project develops chemical recycling solutions that make it possible to recover valuable components from composite waste and reuse them in new materials and products.

Composite materials combine fibres, resins, and fillers to form strong, lightweight structures. Because these materials are tightly bonded together, separating them at the end of their life cycle is difficult, and much of the waste is currently underutilised. 

The CompoREC project develops advanced chemical recycling methods based on pyrolysis and solvolysis that enable the breakdown of composite materials into their valuable components. The goal is to recover fibres and abrasive fillers for reuse and convert the resin fraction into new raw materials for products such as resins, adhesives and coatings. In this way, the project supports more circular use of composite materials. 

We at Centria University of Applied Sciences focus on identifying suitable composite waste streams and preparing them for recycling. 

First, we map the types, quantities and composition of composite waste, including glass- and carbon-fibre-reinforced materials and bonded products such as abrasives. The work is carried out together with waste management companies and manufacturers. The results will help identify suitable materials for further research and create a database of composite waste types. 

We also develop pretreatment methods that prepare composite waste for chemical recycling. This includes cutting, shredding and separating materials so that valuable components can be recovered efficiently. Different approaches are studied for complex materials that contain several bonded components. 

The work also examines how the processed materials perform in recycling methods such as solvolysis and identifies safe practices for handling and processing composite waste. 

The project is coordinated by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland together with Centria University of Applied Sciences and Tampere University, in collaboration with several industrial partners. The project is co-funded by Business Finland.