Towards sustainability in composites - a radical technique for reducing waste in the composites supply chain

自20世纪70年代以来，拼接技术在传统纺织工业中得到了广泛的应用。随着使用碳纤维等材料的结构复合材料的出现，情况开始发生变化。在这些通常又重又脆的纤维中制造接头是所有接头制造商二十年来的难题。如今，一家名为Airbond的英国公司已经解决了其中的许多问题，其新型接头已经在市场上得到了广泛应用。一个主要问题仍然存在；在某种程度上，被大肆吹嘘的复合材料行业的“绿色”证书是一个神话。该行业使用的许多材料都很昂贵且耗能，浪费现象普遍存在。此外，用于粘合复合材料的树脂通常是令人不快的石化化合物，因此纤维的寿命终止回收是复杂而昂贵的。公平地说，业界认识到减少废物和循环再造是首要任务，并正在积极寻求解决方案。在这种情况下，拼接技术的改进有可能对复合材料市场的可持续性做出革命性的贡献，而不是渐进式的贡献。在复合材料中，在产品使用寿命结束时，非常强调纤维的回收。这种方法虽然有价值，但似乎是从错误的方向解决问题的。对于报废回收，总是需要相对高科技、复杂的解决方案，但真正改变行业的是，从源头上减少仍处于原始状态的废弃或降级纤维的数量。该项目涉及一个系统的设计，该系统将在生产过程开始时保存复合材料中使用的外来纤维。如果商业化，这种设计可能是创造一个更高效、更有道德的行业的第一步。

Splicing technology became well-established in the traditional textile industry from the 1970s. The picture began to change with the emergence of structural composites, using materials such as carbon fibre. Making splices in these fibres -- usually heavy and brittle - defeated all splicer manufacturers for two decades. Many of those problems have now been solved by a British company, Airbond, with new forms of splicers now well-established in the market.One major problem remains; the "green" credentials of the much-vaunted composites industry are, to some extent, a myth. Many of the materials used in the sector are expensive and energy-hungry, and waste is rife. Moreover, the resins used to bind the composites are usually unpleasant petrochemical compounds, so that end-of-life recovery of fibre is complex and expensive.To be fair, the industry recognises that waste reduction and recycling are major priorities, and is actively seeking solutions. In this context, there is potential for improvements in splicing technology to make a revolutionary -- rather than evolutionary - contribution to sustainability in the composites market sector.In composites, there is much emphasis on fibre recovery at the end of a product's life. This approach, though worthy, seems to be addressing the problem from the wrong direction. There will always be a need for relatively hi-tech, complex solutions for end-of-life recovery, but a real industry-changer would be the reduction, at source, of the amount of fibre which is discarded or downgraded while still in its pristine state.This project relates to a design for a system which will conserve the exotic fibres used in composites at the beginning of the production process. If commercialised, this design could be the first step towards the creation of a more efficient, more ethical industry.