Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Innovative recycling method for carbon fibre

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

Fraunhofer EMI: Innovative recycling method for carbon fibre

Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for High-Speed Dynamics, Ernst-Mach-Institut, EMI have developed a technology that makes it possible to reclaim continuous carbon fibres from composite materials without diminishing material quality. High-power lasers are used for local degradation of the matrix of multi-layered fibre-reinforced plastics at high temperatures. This method offers not only ecological benefits but also considerable economic potential.

Carbon fibre composites are exceptionally strong and lightweight, making them preferred materials in many industries. But the disposal and recycling of these high-performance materials pose significant challenges. The research team at Fraunhofer EMI has now developed a process in which fibres from used composites are efficiently prepared for reuse  without adversely affecting their mechanical properties. Current recycling methods for fibre-reinforced plastic involve a shredding step, which shortens the fibres and leads to a downcycling.

The researchers at Fraunhofer EMI use a high-power laser for controlled reclamation of the fibre reinforcement from thermosetting composites. This method is especially relevant for pressurized hydrogen tanks, where a continuous carbon fibre roving is wound around a plastic liner to make the tank able to withstand high internal service pressures of up to 700 bar.

The advantage of this innovative recycling method lies in the ability to remove the thermosetting matrix surrounding the carbon fibres via a local pyrolysis, while leaving the fibres themselves nearly undamaged. What makes this process special is that we perform the pyrolysis of the matrix and the unwinding of the fibre roving simultaneously, at a reasonable speed without damaging the carbon fibres.

The challenge lies in defining the optimum process window, as the matrix thermal degradation occurs at temperatures of 300 to 600 degrees Cel, while the fibres might start getting damaged when the temperature reaches about 600 degrees Celsius. We found a very good compromise between the process efficiency and the quality of the recycled material. Our results show that the continuous fibres reclaimed in this way have the same excellent performance properties as new fibres.

The innovative method offers not only ecological benefits but also considerable economic potential for recycling companies. Because heat is applied locally and the fibre roving is continuously reclaimed at the same time, there is no need for the long pyrolysis times and high process costs typically required when working with the thick-walled hydrogen tanks. Furthermore, the laser-assisted reclamation process requires only about one-fifth of the amount of energy required to produce new fibres. Those are key advantages in the current context of rising energy costs and increasing environmental requirements.

source: Fraunhofer EMI /JEC Composites

New Study Reveals Polymers with Flawed Fillers Boost Heat Transfer in Plastics

In the quest to design the next generation of materials for modern devices – ones that are lightweight, flexible and excellent at dissipating heat– a team of researchers led by the University of Massachusetts Amherst made a discovery: imperfection has its upsides. 

This research, published in Science Advances, experimentally and theoretically found that polymers (commonly referred to as plastics) made with thermally #conductivefillers containing defects performed 160% better than those with perfect fillers. This counterintuitive finding challenges long-held assumptions that defects compromise material performance.

The study was led by #UMassAmherst with collaborators from #MassachusettsInstituteofTechnology, #NorthCarolinaStateUniversity, #StanfordUniversity, #OakRidgeNationalLaboratory, #ArgonneNationalLaboratoryandRiceUniversity.

Polymers have revolutionized modern devices with their unmatched lightness, electrical insulation, flexibility and ease of processing qualities metals & ceramics simply can’t rival. Polymers are embedded in every corner of our tech landscape, from high-speed microchips and LEDs to smartphones and soft robotics. However, common polymers are thermal insulators with low thermal conductivity, which can lead to overheating issues. Their inherent insulating properties trap heat, spawning dangerous hot spots that sap performance and accelerate wear, heightening the risk of catastrophic failures and even fires.

For years, scientists have attempted to enhance the thermal conductivity of polymers by incorporating highly thermally conductive fillers such as metals, ceramics or carbon-based materials. The logic is straightforward: blending in thermally conductive fillers should improve overall performance. 

However, in practice, it is not this simple. Consider a polymer blended with diamonds.

Given a diamond’s exceptional thermal conductivity of about 2,000 watts per meter per kelvin (W m-1 K-1), a polymer that is composed of 40% diamond filler might theoretically achieve conductivity of around 800 W m-1 K-1. Yet, practical results have fallen short due to challenges like filler clumping, defects, high contact resistance between polymers and fillers,& low thermal conductivity of polymer matrices, which undermine heat transfer. 

Understanding thermal transport mechanisms in polymeric materials has been a long-standing challenge, partly due to the complicated polymer structures, ubiquitous defects & disorders.

For their study, aimed at laying the foundation for understanding thermal transport in #polymericmaterials and controlling heat transfer across heterogeneous interfaces, the team created two polymer composites of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)- one incorporating perfect graphite fillers and the other using defective graphite oxide fillers, each at a low 5% volume fraction.

source: University of Massachusetts Amherst

Hexagon Purus Secures Hydrogen Storage Deal with Egypt’s MCV as Hydrogen Mobility Gains Ground

Hexagon Purus, the Norwegian specialist in hydrogen systems, just locked in its first deal with Egypt’s Manufacturing Commercial Vehicles (MCV), making a big move into North Africa’s growing hydrogen mobility scene.

Breaking Into Egypt with a Purpose

The partnership kicks off with Hexagon Purus supplying high-tech hydrogen storage systems for MCV’s new hydrogen-powered buses. They’re keeping the exact number of units under wraps for now, but the significance? Crystal clear. It marks Hexagon Purus’ first footprint in Egypt while helping MCV hit the gas on its shift toward sustainable transportation.

Why does this matter? Egypt isn’t just another stop on the map—it’s a country blessed with massive solar power potential and a prime location that makes it a natural candidate to become a major green hydrogen hub. The catch? The hydrogen infrastructure is still getting off the ground. But collaborations like this—where cutting-edge hydrogen tech is being plugged directly into real-life public transport—can be game-changers for the whole ecosystem.

So what’s #HexagonPurus bringing to the table? Their bread and butter is #Type4composite #pressurevessels super-lightweight, super-strong storage tanks that safely hold hydrogen at high pressure. Designed to go the distance, these tanks thrive in demanding conditions like daily use in heavy-duty city buses.

The buses themselves will run on hydrogen fuel cells.

MCV Looks Ahead

Egypt’s biggest name in bus and coach manufacturing, MCV, is clearly thinking long-term. Known for building vehicles for giants like Daimler and Volvo, the company’s already dipped into electric buses in recent years. Now, with hydrogen on the table, they’re leveling up again—positioning themselves as a serious player in both local and global sustainable transportation markets.

And the timing couldn’t be better. Egyptian cities are under mounting pressure to cut emissions, modernize transit systems, and tackle air pollution head-on. These new #hydrogenbuses could become the flagships of that environmental shift—whether serving Cairo commuters or being exported to regions eager for clean, efficient transport tech.

Part of Something Bigger

This isn’t just about #Egypt and Norway. It’s another strong link in the fast-growing chain of international partnerships fueling a global hydrogen mobility network. Projects like this show the world that hydrogen fuel cells are more than hype—they work, and they’re ready for the real world.

For Hexagon Purus, it’s another win after securing major deals across Europe and North America. This latest order with MCV not only showcases the flexibility and reach of their technology, but also highlights the rising demand for hydrogen storage solutions in markets that are stepping into the spotlight.

source:Hydrogen Fuel News

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Study shows starch-based plastic particles can cause health concerns in mice

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

Starch-based microplastics could cause health risks in mice, study finds:

Wear and tear on plastic products releases small to nearly invisible plastic particles, which could impact people’s health when consumed or inhaled. To make these particles biodegradable, researchers created plastics from plant starch instead of petroleum. An initial study published in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry shows how animals consuming particles from this alternative material developed health problems such as liver damage and gut microbiome imbalances.

Biodegradable starch-based plastics may not be as safe and health-promoting as originally assumed,” says Yongfeng Deng, the corresponding author of the study. 

Microplastics (plastic pieces less than 5 millimeters wide) are entering human bodies through contaminated water supplies, foods and drinks — and even IV infusions. Scientists have linked plastic particles in the bloodstream and tissues to various health risks. For example, a study found that people with inflammatory bowel disease have more microplastics in their feces. Biodegradable plastics have been presented as a safer, more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional petroleum-based plastics. One of the most common types comes from starch, a carbohydrate found in potatoes, rice and wheat. However, there is a lack of information on how starch-based biodegradable plastics affect the body. A team of researchers led by Deng tackled this issue by exploring these effects in animal trials.

The researchers compared three groups of five mice: one group consuming normal chow and two groups consuming food infused with starch-based microplastics. The doses (low and high) were calculated and scaled from what an average human is expected to consume daily. They fed the mice for 3 months and then assessed the animals’ organ tissues, metabolic functions and gut microbiota diversity. Mice exposed to the starch-based plastic particles had:

Multiple damaged organs, including the liver and ovaries, with more pronounced damage in the high-dose group. However, mice eating normal chow showed normal organ tissue biopsies. 

Altered glucose management, including significant abnormality in triglycerides (a type of fat) and disruption in molecular biomarkers associated with glucose and lipid metabolism, compared to mice fed normal chow. 

Dysregulated genetic pathways and specific gut microbiota imbalances, which the researchers suggest could alter microplastic-consuming animals’ circadian rhythms.

Prolonged low-dose exposure to starch-based microplastics can lead to a broad spectrum of health impacts, particularly perturbing circadian rhythms and disrupting glucose and lipid metabolism. However, the researchers acknowledge that because this is one of the first studies examining the impacts of consuming starch-based microplastics, further research is needed to understand how these biodegradable particles break down in the body. 

The authors acknowledge funding from the Natural Science Foundation of China, the Jiangsu Province

Young Science and Technology Talent Support Program, the Joint Fund of Departments and Schools, the Start-up Research Fund, and the Zhishan Young Scholars Fund of Southeast University by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities.

source : American Chemical Society

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Plasma-based process for the recycling of GRP:

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

Efficient circular economy: Plasma-based process for the recycling of GRP:

The Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP) is developing an innovative method for the sustainable recycling of glass fibre reinforced plastics (GRP) as part of the PLAS4PLAS joint project. In cooperation with the Institute for Environment & Energy, Technology & Analytics e.V. (IUTA) and the TU Bergakademie Freiberg, the research team is working on an emission-free & residue-free recycling process based on thermal plasma. The project, which will run until 2029, is being funded by the Volkswagen Foundation with 1.37 million euros.

Challenge: Complex GRP waste

GRP is widely used in aviation, vehicle construction and wind turbines. Their composite of plastic and glass fibres makes recycling extremely difficult. Until now, major part of GRP waste has ended up in landfill sites or has been used as filler or fuel with negative environmental consequences such as CO₂ emissions and the release of pollutants.

Sustainable solution through plasma technology:

The planned process is based on an allothermal gasification process in which thermal plasma is used. In this process, the working gas is heated to several thousand degrees Celsius & serves as an extremely hot medium that breaks down the plastic into its components. In contrast to conventional incineration, the required heat is supplied from the outside so that the plastic is gently converted into syngas, which serves as a raw material for the production of new plastics.

At the same time, the suitability of the remaining glass content for the manufacture of other products is being investigated, as well as the possibility of recovering other elements contained in the glass through process adjustments. In this way, we want to create a genuine circular economy that significantly reduces raw material consumption and CO₂ emissions.

Technical feasibility, scaling and acceptance:

A central goal of the project is to optimise thermal plasma technologies for the specific requirements of GRP waste. The recycling process will be evaluated both ecologically and economically in order to ensure its sustainability and efficiency. In addition, the technical basis for scaling up the process and developing a large-scale GRP gasification reactor is being developed.

In addition to the technical implementation, the project is also investigating the long-term effects of plasma technology on the supply of raw materials for fibre-reinforced plastics. The extent to which the process influences existing branches of industry such as the chemical industry, GRP production and metal processing is being analysed. At the same time, social acceptance plays a decisive role: the extent to which the recycling process is accepted by industry and society and what conditions need to be created for widespread implementation will be analysed.

source: Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology / idw nachrichten

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Scientists Create Ultra-hard Lab-grown Diamond Tougher Than Natural Ones

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

Scientists Create Ultra-hard Lab-grown Diamond Tougher Than Natural Ones

Physicists have successfully created a lab-grown diamond with a hardness exceeding that of natural diamonds. By subjecting graphite to extreme pressure and heat, researchers synthesized a rare hexagonal diamond, also known as lonsdaleite—a crystal structure that has long been theorized to be stronger than the conventional cubic diamonds found in nature.

Breaking The Limits Of Hardness:

Diamonds are famous for being the hardest naturally occurring material on Earth, but synthetic alternatives have been pushing the limits of toughness. The new lab-grown hexagonal diamond, created by compressing graphite at unprecedented pressures before heating it to 1,800 K (1,527 °C or 2,780 °F), has now set a new benchmark.

The defining feature of this diamond is its hexagonal crystal lattice, distinct from the usual cubic structure seen in natural diamonds. Scientists had suspected for decades that a hexagonal arrangement of carbon atoms could be superior in strength, but experimental verification remained challenging.

A hardness measurement of 155 gigapascals (GPa) confirms that this new diamond surpasses the 110 GPa of natural diamonds, making it one of the hardest known substances. The material exhibits high thermal stability, remaining intact at temperatures up to 1,100°C (2,012°F)—far beyond the limits of most industrial nanodiamonds.

A Discovery Rooted In Space:

Hexagonal diamonds were first identified over 50 years ago in meteorites from high-impact sites, suggesting that they naturally form under immense cosmic pressures. This discovery led scientists to theorize that such structures could be synthesized in laboratories, but previous efforts only yielded small, impure samples.

The latest research provides the strongest evidence yet that this structural arrangement indeed enhances hardness and stability. It also highlights a new method of synthesis, which could be refined for larger-scale production.

The key breakthrough was realizing that graphite must be compressed at significantly higher pressures than previously attempted. Once the correct post-graphite phase is achieved, heating the material under pressure triggers the transformation into a hexagonal diamond structure.

From Lab To Industry: Opportunities And Setbacks

Mass production remains a challenge, but researchers are working to scale up synthesis and refine purity and stability. If successful, this ultra-hard diamond could enhance cutting tools for mining and construction, withstand extreme conditions in aerospace applications, and advance data storage and quantum computing.

The study also provides new insights into diamond formation under extreme conditions, with implications for planetary science and materials engineering.

A New Frontier in Material Science

This achievement marks a major step forward in the quest to engineer superior synthetic materials. While natural diamonds will continue to hold value for jewelry and other uses, lab-grown hexagonal diamonds may soon become the gold standard for cutting-edge technology.

Scientists remain optimistic that future advancements will make large-scale production feasible, bringing ultra-hard, heat-resistant diamonds to industries that demand the toughest materials on Earth.

“Our findings offer valuable insights regarding the graphite-to-diamond conversion under elevated pressure and temperature, providing opportunities for the fabrication and applications of this unique material,” explained the researchers.

source:Dailygalaxy.com

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Researchers develop bio-based poly(ester amide)s using microbial strains

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

Common bacteria could be used to produce biodegradable bioplastics :

A research team based in Korea has succeeded in engineering E. coli bacteria to produce poly(ester amide)s, useful plastics that have a range of thermal and mechanical properties and are often biodegradable.

Lead investigator Sang Yup Lee, a professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in Daejeon, and colleagues believe this method could be a sustainable, more environmentally friendly way of producing these useful plastics than currently used methods.

“Petroleum-based plastics use crude oil or natural gas as a raw material. On the other hand, bio-based polymers use renewable biomass, which is generated by fixing carbon dioxide, as a raw material, and thus are close to carbon neutral,” said Lee. “For sustainable production of plastics, we need to move towards a bio-based production system.

A useful material

Poly(ester amide)s contain both ester and amide chemical bonds, which gives them many useful properties. They were first made in the 1930s with the aim of combining the properties of polyamides such as nylon with those of polyesters like polyethylene terephthalate, used widely in food packaging and for making plastic bottles.

Poly(ester amide)s are very useful because they have the good thermal and mechanical properties of polyamides and also the biocompatibility and biodegradable possibilities of polyesters. “The rate of degradation varies depending on the polymer type and also environment where the plastics are disposed,” noted Lee.

These diverse properties mean poly(ester amide)s can be used in medicine for applications such as drug delivery systems, cardiovascular stents and scaffolds for tissue engineering, as well as for making specific types of biodegradable plastics to replace less sustainable alternatives.

Although they are undoubtedly useful, the current standard process for making these plastics is not environmentally friendly. Making these plastics from biobased sources and in a sustainable manner would help protect the planet, while continuing to provide a material that has many important uses.

Harnessing bacteria to make plastic

Some bacteria can naturally produce polyesters like polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), which are used to make things like shopping bags and mulch films for agriculture. For example, the bacteria Cupriavidus necator, Bacillus megaterium, and purple bacteria in the genus Rhodomicrobium, have all been shown to have this property. However, most of these microbes only produce small amounts of polyesters, which would not be enough to make commercial production viable.

This problem can be overcome by using genetic engineering to boost the natural capacity of bacteria like C. necator to produce materials like PHA, or introducing this capability into well-known bacterial species such as E. coli.

Lee and colleagues previously developed polyester producing E. coli but until recently producing poly(ester amide)s this way was more challenging, as naturally occurring bacterial enzymes do not produce polyamides.

In this study, Lee and colleagues managed to apply some of the knowledge gained while producing polyesters in their earlier research, as well as new techniques to engineer E. coli to produce poly(ester amide) plastics. Glucose from plant-based waste matter, which is produced in large quantities in industries like farming, is the main food for the bacteria in the fermentation process.

To create the poly(ester amide) producing E. coli, researchers added two enzymes from other bacteria, Clostridium and Pseudomonas. This initially slowed bacterial growth but improved over time.

Other genetic modifications made by the team included boosting the production of the amino acid lysine, which was needed for production of poly(ester amide) plastics by the bacteria and blocking lactic acid production, which can interfere with polymer structure. The scientists found that the final type of poly(ester amide) created could be changed by altering the balance of amino acids in the feedstock for the bacteria.

Overcoming challenges

Although this research is promising, Lee and team need to overcome some scaleup and economic challenges before the technology is rolled out on a wider scale.

Moving from a small flask in the lab to a larger bioreactor did allow a significant improvement in bacterial production efficiency, but this still needs to be improved to make the process commercially viable and able to compete with current industry standards.

“We need to improve the performance of the microbial cell factories further to make the process more economically competitive,” acknowledged Lee. “Once we have a high-performance microbial strain, we can optimize the fermentation process together with downstream processes for recovery and purification.

It is early stages, but the researchers are exploring possible commercial opportunities for this technology. “We are collaborating with companies that are interested in this,” confirmed Lee, “not only regarding poly(ester amide)s, but also other polymers that we currently produce more efficiently.

Reference: Tong Un Chae et al., Biosynthesis of poly(ester amide)s in engineered Escherichia coli, Nature Chemical Biology (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41589-025-01842-2

source: Source: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology /Advanced Science News