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Fiber preparation and recycling

The field of fiber preparation and recycling comprises both natural fiber recovery from fiber stalks and fiber recovery from textile production waste and secondary materials.

For natural fiber recovery, the complete process chain is available at TITK, starting with mechanical preparation of the fiber stalks, cleaning of the fibers, fiber cutting, production of fiber blends as a preliminary stage for nonwovens production, and ending with the production of fiber slivers, which serve as preliminary products for the production of fiber pellets.

Another important core competence of TITK is the development of recycling concepts aimed at the recovery and reuse of high-tech fibers such as carbon and aramid fibers in the length range of 5 - 60 mm.

The plant technology established for this purpose at TITK includes:

  • Waste preparation by means of cutting machines and granulators for shredding
  • Recycling fiber recovery by means of textile openers and special defibering technology
  • Processing technology for wet- and dry-laid nonwovens with mechanical or thermal bonding or processing technology for the production of free-flowing granules or chips
  • Composite production in press and injection molding processes including the determination of relevant composite properties.

and is suitable for the preparation of:

  • fiber-containing production residues from the manufacture of semi-finished products such as scrims, woven fabrics and braids
  • resin-free production residues from the manufacture of fiber composites such as cuttings and punching waste prior to composite consolidation

The work focuses on the development of semi-finished products for reuse in the fiber composite sector or in other application areas and aims to map complete value chains and material cycles.

 

More information

Research projects

  • Ortlepp, G.: Isotrope Halbzeuge für Thermoplast-CFK auf Basis von Recyclingcarbonfasern (MF 140033)
  • Reußmann, Dr. T.: Verfahrensentwicklung zur kontinuierlichen Zuführung von recycelten Carbonfasern in Doppelschneckenextrudern; Prozessentwicklung und Optimierung der Granulatherstellung mit recycelten Carbonfasern (KF 2099125 VT4)
  • Ortlepp, G.: Prozessoptimierter Wiedereinsatz sekundärer Hochleistungsfasern für den Leichtbau (MF 120160)