Angeloni Group and Herambiente: working together to develop recycled carbon fibre

More circularity in hi-tech sectors
An agreement that promotes the circular economy in the top sectors of technological innovation and performance, such as the automotive, motorsport, aerospace, renewable energy and nautical industries. This is what Herambiente (Hera Group) and the Angeloni Group, a leader in the production of composite materials and part of the Michelin Group, presented today at the JEC Forum in Paris, the main European exhibition dedicated to composite materials. The object of the partnership is the carbon fibre recycled by Herambiente in the plant currently being opened in Imola (BO), the first of its kind in Italy. The multiutility services provider, the first Italian operator in waste treatment and recovery, has recently also turned its recycling expertise to carbon, with a pyrogasification plant where waste carbon fibre-reinforced composites arrive. This is separated from any resins and, after refining treatment, it can be reused as a second raw material by the same companies that provided the waste. 

A real closed loop between customer, fibre producer and recycler
The agreement with Angeloni is the perfect application of this circular economy model. The Group, with offices and plants in Quarto d'Altino (VE), Castano Primo (MI), Lesmo (MB) and Fregona (TV), produces composite materials, collaborating with the most important car manufacturers, shipbuilding brands, industrial and sports sectors. It is in fact from these customers that Herambiente will collect the exhausted carbon fibre, which will then be regenerated in the Imola plant, before returning to Angeloni for treatment with new resins that will transform it into a new composite material. This is then made available to the customer who originally disposed of it, starting a real closed loop system. 

A project in its infancy, driven by applied research
Given its pioneering nature, the project embodies a relevant component of applied research on the possibilities of using recycled carbon. In the first phase, regenerated fibre will be used as a filler for non-structural elements and, above all, for the production of moulds used in the manufacturing of parts. For example, a part of a car’s bodywork or a dashboard section. But several Angeloni Group customers, in close collaboration with the supplier, have already started tests on recycled carbon fibres, to validate their specific mechanical characteristics. These are then useful for homologation of the materials in relation to the reference standards of each sector and therefore to the use of recycled carbon also on components, for example of a car or boat, which require mechanical performance such as strength or flexibility. 

Strong growth in applications for recycled carbon fibre is expected
The horizon, therefore, of this field research will be the progressive extension of applications for regenerated carbon. This is a path that follows some sector-specific rules, such as the new Regulations of the International Automobile Federation (FIA). This will come into force in 2026, with a series of measures to make motor racing increasingly sustainable, including (among other things) the introduction of recycled parts on cars.

Della Bona, Angeloni Group: "the agreement, an opportunity for our customers"
"This project aligns perfectly with the Angeloni philosophy", explains Carlo Della Bona, Managing Director of Angeloni Group. "In almost a century of history, we have always been guided by the avant-garde in research and production. In this case, innovation is even more relevant because it combines the pursuit of improved performance with protection of the planet's resources, a huge issue in which all players in the supply chain are already involved today. In this sense, the agreement represents a great opportunity for our customers, who will find in Angeloni a partner able to accompany them on the path to sustainability".

Ramonda, Herambiente: "a very close collaboration to push research forward"
"The partnership with the Angeloni Group is of great importance because it consolidates our carbon fibre recovery project, developed in recent years together with technological and university partners and which will see its launch in the coming days with the inauguration of the Imola recycling plant", explains Andrea Ramonda, Herambiente CEO. "Our model provides for a very close collaboration with customers, both to accelerate research together in a pioneering area such as the recycling of composite materials, and to create real closed-loop cycles, which prevent the production of waste by making the most of all discarded items/materials. And it is precisely on these bases that the journey with Angeloni Group starts today".