VIBES, a green technology solution for thermoset composites’ end-of-life.

We are happy to announce the start of VIBES, a research & innovation project funded by Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking (BBI – JU) under the European Union’s Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, Horizon 2020, under Grant Agreement N° 101023190. With a duration of 48 months and a budget of almost 5.3 million Euros, the project held this week its kick-off meeting virtually.

The VIBES project aims to develop an innovative and cost-efficient green technology solution to resolve the end-of-life issues of thermoset composites, decreasing the amount of non-biodegradable polymers sent to disposal or discharged to the environment by at least 40%. The project will develop a recycling solution that combines material science developments and a green chemistry recycling technology.

To reach its purpose, VIBES will initially focus on the controlled separation and recovery of composite material components by means of developing customised 100% Biobased Bonding Materials (BBM).  In addition, the project will design and develop biobased thermoset composites, with the intention to place industrial biobased and recyclable substituent composite materials in the market. The developed materials will be validated for optimum performance/ cost ratio in 3 high-demand industrial sectors: aeronautical, construction and naval industries.

Finally, a greener, fast, economic, and non-toxic recycling technology to treat the smart VIBES composites will be developed and implemented at pilot level. As a result, the decomposed materials will be recovered and valorised as new feedstocks for the development of new products. The whole system will be defined, from the dismantling of the parts of the composite, to collecting and directing to the recycling plant, receiving, handling and sorting of the materials.

The VIBES consortium, led by AITIIP (Spain), is comprised of 13 partners across 7 EU member states (Spain, France, Ireland, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Greece):  3 Research & Technology Organisations and 1 University (AITIIP, LEITAT, DITF, University of Limerick), 7 Small and Medium Enterprises (Specific Polymers, BCIRCULAR, FLIPS & DOBBELS, IDEC, Juno Composites, ARCHA, Q-PLAN International), 1 Large Company (ACCIONA Construccion), and 1 Public Body (Teruel International Airport PLATA).

Project Details

Grant Agreement No: 101023190

Start Date: 01/06/2021

Project Duration: 48 months

For additional information please contact:

• Pere Castell (VIBES Coordinator, AITIIP), e-mail: castell@aitiip.com, phone: +34 976 464 544
• Eirini Efthymiadou (VIBES Communication and Stakeholders Manager, Q-PLAN International), e-mail: efthymiadou@qplan-intl.gr, phone: +30 2310 411 191