Jamco joins Japanese partners to recycle and reuse CFRP from retired aircraft
Jamco joined a NEDO-led Japanese consortium—including Nagoya University, Subaru, and JAXA—to develop a circular economy supply chain for recovering and reusing CFRP from retired aircraft. The project targets a persistent gap in the carbon fiber composites sector: the lack of validated processes and standards needed to reintroduce recycled CFRP into certified aircraft components.
Jamco Corporation has joined a consortium to advance the recycling and reuse of carbon-fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) from decommissioned aircraft. The initiative, titled 'Project for Building a Circular Economy Industry for Next-generation Aircraft,' seeks to create a comprehensive supply chain for recovering and repurposing CFRP in new aircraft.
The project is spearheaded by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), a Japanese national research and development agency. Key partners include Tokai National Higher Education and Research System Nagoya University, Jamco Corporation, the Japan Fine Ceramics Center (JFCC), Subaru Corporation, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
Carbon fiber composites, known for their strength and lightweight properties, are extensively used in aviation, particularly in cabin sidewall surfaces and as structural components for airframes and wings. The retirement of aircraft will result in significant quantities of CFRP becoming available for recycling.
Jamco Corporation acknowledges existing challenges in applying recycled CFRP materials in aviation. The company emphasizes the need for further technological advancements to facilitate widespread adoption.
Within the project, Jamco will leverage its expertise in carbon-fiber composites to focus on two primary areas. The first involves developing a substrate-forming process to transform recycled materials into usable forms. The second area focuses on evaluating recycled materials, establishing application requirements for aircraft cabin interiors, and demonstrating their efficacy through tests on actual aircraft.
Source: Carbon Fiber Feed