𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐲𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐨𝐧 𝐅𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐯𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

The aviation industry faces mounting pressure to reduce weight and improve energy efficiency as it pursues sustainability goals. The #ReCellproject offers a groundbreaking solution: supercapacitors and structural batteries made from #recycledcarbonfiber that store energy while serving as integral aircraft components.

Coordinated by #Spanishaerostructures manufacturer #Sofitec, with participation from Aimplas, the Spanish Plastics Technology Centre, and I2CON, the initiative represents a paradigm shift in aeronautical component design through multifunctional materials that combine mechanical properties with energy-storage capacity.

Overcoming electrification barriers

Transport electrification remains critical for reducing CO₂ emissions, but aviation confronts significant obstacles due to battery weight and energy density limitations. Re-Cell tackles this challenge by developing #structuralcomposites capable of storing energy, eliminating separate systems, and optimizing overall aircraft weight.

"The major challenge in aviation electrification is not only to store more energy, but to do so without adding a weight penalty. Structural batteries make precisely that possible: the component itself performs both a structural and an energy function.

Circular economy integration

A distinguishing feature of the Re-Cell project is its use of recycled carbon fiber as the foundation for these advanced materials. This approach reduces waste in composite-intensive sectors while supporting circular-economy principles in #aerospacemanufacturing.

"In Re-Cell, we are not only seeking more efficient new materials, but also more sustainable ones. We are working to give carbon fiber a second life and turn it into a high-value resource for demanding applications such as aeronautics," says Fernando Ramos, researcher in Sustainable and Future Mobility at #Aimplas.

The project is developing advanced fiber recycling and treatment processes, along with integration methods for polymer matrices that deliver both structural and electrochemical performance simultaneously.

Beyond material development, Re-Cell addresses fundamental scientific challenges that have limited structural battery applications, including functional solid electrolyte development, recycled fiber variability, and the complexity of combined mechanical and electrochemical behavior.

The project will culminate in manufacturing and validating a full-scale demonstrator integrated into an aircraft landing gear component. This phase will assess the technology's performance under representative conditions and advance industrialization prospects.

The Re-Cell initiative demonstrates how recycled materials can meet demanding aerospace requirements while supporting sustainability objectives, potentially transforming how aircraft store and utilize energy.

source : Plastics Today