In December 2022 Titania received the final award of the RECICOM project – a research and development project focused on the recovery of carbon fibre (CF) from current thermoset materials used in aircraft.

The development of this R&D+i project is divided into several phases. In the first phase, carbon fibre reinforcement will be obtained after removing the resin from the composite materials. With this reinforcement, a new 3R composite will be created. Subsequently, a new acoustic emission monitoring technology will be applied to the new material made from the 3R resin. Finally, the functionality of this second-generation composite material will be evaluated.

To meet this challenge, a multidisciplinary R&D+i consortium has been built and consolidated, comprising four Spanish companies which together have the necessary skills and knowledge to cover the project’s entire value chain. Specifically, the consortium is made up of:

  • Ipunto, supplier of the technology and supplier of the monitoring of the part manufactured with the recycled material and production processes through a new acoustic emission technology.

  • FLUIDMECÁNICA SUR SL, partner company and supplier of the equipment and industrialisation of the process for obtaining the carbon fibre reinforcement using hydrothermal extraction techniques.

  • DroneTools, partner company in charge of manufacturing drones with the new material.

  • Titania, project leader and in charge of validating tests and detecting defects during manufacture and service life.

RECICOM’s main objective is to contribute to the ecological transition and the circular economy by increasing sustainability in the aeronautical sector. In addition, it will allow Spain to position itself in the field of sustainable thermoset composites.

The RECICOM project is subsidised by the CDTI through the 2022 call of the procedure for granting aid for Sectoral Business Innovation Initiatives, Aeronautical Technology Programme, under the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (financed with Next Generation EU funds) and the State Programme to Catalyse Innovation and Business Leadership of the State Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation 2021-2023.