ELG Carbon Fibre has recycled waste carbon fiber material from sailing team INEOS Team UK to make two cradles for the Britannia race boat.
The company reprocessed INEOS’ waste, comprised of pre-impregnated and cured parts into thermoset and thermoplastic compounds and nonwoven mats. ELG says that its convertor has processed over 1.2 tonnes of INEOS’ waste materials thus far.
ELG’s nonwoven carbon fiber mats were used to produce the curved cradles the hull sits upon. According to the company, the Britannia, a 75 ft foiling monohull, is the first of its size and reportedly requires a strong and stable cradle to support the boat in transit. ELG’s products were also incorporated into the hull mold, made using a vacuum infusion process.
‘As an America’s Cup Team we hope to lead the way showing other manufacturers you can avoid putting materials in landfill, close the loop and reuse the fibers with stunning results,’ said Alan Boot, naval architect at INEOS Team UK.
This story uses material from ELG, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
