Toyota Industries Corporation and the Fraunhofer Institute for Casting, Composite and Processing Technology (IGCV) are collaborating to explore new manufacturing routes for composites made entirely from recycled carbon fibre. The work focuses on converting Toyota Industries' recycled carbon fibre (rCF) spun yarn into composite materials using wet compression moulding, infusion and prepregging processes.
Toyota Industries developed the yarn by adapting conventional cotton-spinning techniques to align recovered carbon fibres from end-of-life carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) components into consistent yarn structures. The technology offers yarn counts ranging from 100 to 1,600 tex. Its textile-based format enables the material to be processed using established composite manufacturing methods and equipment, including weaving, prepreg production, resin transfer moulding and pultrusion.
An important aspect of the technology is its potential environmental benefit. Conventional virgin carbon fibre production involves energy-intensive processing, including precursor stabilization and carbonization. Toyota Industries estimates that its recycled carbon fibre yarn can reduce associated CO₂ emissions by approximately 80% by eliminating the need for these virgin-fibre production stages.
The material has also demonstrated mechanical performance relevant to structural composite applications. Toyota Industries previously reported that CFRP manufactured using its recycled yarn achieved approximately 70% of the tensile strength and 90% of the elastic modulus of comparable virgin-carbon-fibre composites. The technology received a 2023 JEC Composites Innovation Award in the Circularity & Recycling category.
Fraunhofer IGCV brings experience in developing and processing recycled carbon fibre materials for different composite applications. Its previous work includes the CIDER project, which demonstrated a recyclable automotive door panel using recycled carbon fibres and Arkema's Elium thermoplastic resin. The institute has also investigated automated fibre placement of recycled carbon fibre materials through the ScrapSeRO project with Broetje-Automation and developed recycled-fibre sheet moulding veil materials for a helicopter inner door shell.
The current collaboration will evaluate how Toyota Industries' spun yarn can be integrated into different composite manufacturing processes and expanded into industrial applications. The partners are also seeking to establish connections with European companies, research organizations and technology developers to identify further uses for recycled carbon fibre and support its wider adoption in composite production.
Source: Fraunhofer IGCV | LinkedIn
