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Description
GREEN-COMP aims at creating a sustainable Polish-Norwegian ecosystem focused on the recycling of fibre-reinforced polymers (FRP). GREEN-COMP will consist of networking, sharing and transfer of knowledge, experience and best practice between Polish and Norwegian scientific and industrial partners aiming at developing research and innovation cooperation in this domain. Due to their lightweight, structural effectiveness, durability, shape ability and multifunctionality FRP composites support the green transition (e.g. by being widely used in wind farms, or transport applications to limit fuel
Summary of the results
During the project, two seminars were organized in Norway and Poland, where partners learned about their competences and familiarized themselves with the available infrastructure. This helped establish and consolidate the network of contacts. The project included research and development work on mechanical and chemical recycling of composite waste from the production of structural elements for the aviation industry. Despite the complexity of these materials, mechanical recycling produced a fraction used as a filler for thermoplastics and thermosets. Chemical recycling recovered a mixture of fibers used to create resin-based composite plates and filaments for 3D printing. A model for assessing the environmental effectiveness of composite waste was developed, considering alternative waste management paths, including chemical and mechanical recycling and landfilling. The project results were described in a joint article and presented at conferences. The final stage was a conference at the largest plastics processing fair in Europe in Kielce in May 2024, attended by over 90 people with 20 presentations and a poster session for students. Participation in the bilateral project fostered collaboration on sustainable composite materials between Poland and Norway. The research addresses the problem of vast amounts of waste generated by the composites industry, and effective recycling of complex waste positively impacts climate protection, aligning with the European Green Deal policy.