Cygnet Texkimp and Viritech partner to recover high-value continuous carbon fibres from hydrogen pressure vessels as part of Ford-led project to develop hydrogen technologies for commercial vehicles

  • Cygnet Texkimp Fibre Recovery System and Viritech Type V hydrogen tank have been developed within the FCVGen2.0 project, led by Ford Motor Company and part-funded by the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC)
  • Technology advances viability of continuous recycled fibres as direct alternative to virgin fibres
  • Partnership demonstrates potential for tanks to be recycled at meaningful rate

Cygnet Texkimp, a leading manufacturer of composites processing technologies, and Viritech, a leading developer of high-performance hydrogen powertrain solutions for the automotive industry, have partnered to recover high-value, continuous carbon fibres from hydrogen pressure vessels as part of a strategy to improve circularity in the manufacture of filament-wound parts.

The two companies worked together within the FCVGen2.0 consortium which is led by Ford Motor Company and part-funded by the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC). The consortium was brought together to design, build and trial a small fleet of hydrogen fuel-cell powered Ford E-Transits that maximise value for fleets with high daily energy demands and zero emissions ambitions. One of its objectives is to develop and evaluate a viable recycling route for end-of-life fuel tank components that maintains the properties of and develops uses for recycled fibre, in order to accelerate the industrialisation of recycling technologies in automotive.

The partnership between Cygnet Texkimp and Viritech harnessed Cygnet Texkimp’s Fibre Recovery System, which addresses one of the project’s key aims: to develop a workable strategy and technical capability to reclaim maximum value from carbon fibre hydrogen tanks at the end of their useable life and reuse them in new applications. The system, which complements Cygnet Texkimp’s filament winding capability, has been developed to recover continuous, high-quality carbon fibres from filament-wound parts and present them in convenient, bobbin-wound formats for reuse in the manufacture of composites.

Cygnet Texkimp’s technology was used to recover carbon fibres from a novel nano-infused, resin-based material system which is being developed by Viritech as part of the project to create pressure vessels that achieve optimum efficiency in manufacture and operation, while also being readily recyclable. Viritech’s graphene nanomaterial was successfully processed at Cygnet Texkimp’s Innovation Centre using the DEECOM composites recycling solution, which applies cyclic pressured, superheated steam to separate fibres from their polymer matrix. The reclaimed fibres were then mechanically unwound and rewound onto bobbins ready to be reused in conventional applications.

Currently, recycled carbon fibre is typically processed as short lengths and applications are limited to chopped fibre for SMC (sheet moulding compound), or, with further processing, fillers and pellets for use in injection moulding and fibre reinforced plastics. With the technology to recover and unwind continuous fibres, manufacturers will be able to use recycled fibre as a direct alternative to virgin fibre in many more applications including filament winding, pultrusion, weaving, UD prepreg and towpreg.

Dr Yan Liu, Senior Research & Development Specialist at Cygnet Texkimp, who led the project, says: “Our partnership with Viritech demonstrates the potential for hydrogen tanks to be recycled at a meaningful rate. This is significant because it supports the automotive industry’s work to achieve true circularity in the manufacture of filament-wound parts by recovering fibres in a way that’s convenient for their reuse and maximises their potential ongoing value.

“Our Fibre Recovery System has an essential role to play in enabling Design for Recycling and Design for Disassembly strategies that inform the manufacture of future hydrogen pressure vessel technology so that recycling and recovery are considered at the design stage.

“The system closes the loop between our DEECOM fibre recycling solution and our extensive filament winding capability and provides end-to-end processing and recycling capability for composite fibres.”

Simon Willis, Chief Technology Officer at Viritech says: “Our collaboration with Cygnet Texkimp has enabled us to generate important data and learnings and incorporate them back into our design fundamentals to ensure that our pressure vessels are readily recyclable in terms of materials and construction.”

The two companies are also working together to further develop the filament winding technology as part of a strategy to develop the most efficient and sustainable manufacturing and recycling solutions for hydrogen pressure vessels. This partnership is based around Cygnet Texkimp’s fully automated, five-axis filament winding cell and Viritech’s graphene nanomaterial system.

Aislinn Kiely, Project Delivery Lead, the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC), said: “The capabilities that Cygnet Texkimp and Viritech have developed while working on the FCVGen2.0 project highlight the mutual benefits that can be unlocked by undertaking collaborative research & development activities. Cygnet Texkimp’s recovery and recycling process, coupled with Viritech’s material development, offer a significant opportunity to support the transition to zero-emission vehicles and establish a zero emission vehicle manufacturing supply chain in the UK.

“APC’s collaborative research and development programme supports projects that design, develop, and enable the manufacture of technologies which target post-project commercialisation, accelerate the transition to zero-emission vehicles, and enhance sustainability.”