HRC’s holistic, closed-loop system supports composites recycling

Examples of recycled carbon fiber (rCF) thermoplastic interior parts and curtain plastic parts created with HRC’s closed-loop solution. Source (All Images) | HRC

Composites solutions provider HRC (Jiangshu, China) is targeting the sustainability of the global automotive industry and beyond through what it calls its “Ecological System of Recyclable Composite Materials,” a holistic, closed-loop solution that addresses the development, application, recycling and reuse of composite material waste.

HRC uses a microwave pyrolysis method that heats collected waste to a resin cracking temperature via microwaves. This “resin pyrolysis” enables HRC to efficiently separate the resin and carbon fibers rapidly without solid or liquid waste. This process is said to retain more than 95% of the original mechanical properties of virgin carbon fiber, enabling demanding structural and functional applications.

In addition to preserving performance, the technology significantly reduces the environmental impact of composite production, HRC reports. While manufacturing virgin carbon fiber emits about 19.849 kilograms of CO₂e per kilogram, for example, the rCF produced through HRC’s proprietary microwave pyrolysis process emits just 0.93 kilogram of CO₂e per kilogram.

HRC’s technology helps to reduce material expenses for automakers, minimizes energy use with no chemical pollution and supports scalability with commercial applications in interior and air curtain automotive components. 

HRC's closed-loop system for composite applications.

Ultimately, this closed-loop process — a scalable business model for sustainable manufacturing — can meet rigorous automotive standards while helping manufacturers move toward their carbon neutrality goals, HRC says.

However, the company’s vision extends beyond. Its collaboration with the Airbus Lifecycle Services Centre (ALSC) launched China’s first aircraft dismantling and recycling program, converting decommissioned aerospace composites into high-value, low-carbon recycled carbon fiber (rCF) products. Similarly, HRC’s partnership with HMC, Airbus’ joint venture in Harbin, will implement 100% carbon fiber recovery, aiming to establish new benchmarks for industrial waste repurposing. HRC believes that these collaborations demonstrate how its ecosystem creates value chains that transcend traditional industry silos, proving that sustainability and profitability can be mutually reinforcing.