Due to their inherent features, composite materials are widely used in applications where lightness, resistance and high mechanical characteristics are required.

Outside the automotive or aeronautics fields, in recent years carbon fiber composites are among the most chosen materials for prosthesis production in the medical sector, for limb replacement and, in the dental sector.

Compared to traditional materials, carbon fiber dental prostheses are lighter, effectively absorb shocks and can be made quickly. For this application, recycled carbon fiber features a better workability, due to its short fibers.

On these topics we interviewed Enrico Rocchinotti, CEO of Innovative Recycling, a Swiss company which industrialized the carbon fiber production using the carbon waste collected from other companies.

Since 2016 Innovative Recycling has produced non-woven recycled carbon fiber fabric for several applications: medical, automotive, construction, energy, sport and marine.

Cannon News (CN): Before starting with our interview, we would like to thank you for your availability and responding to our questions. Let’s talk about recycled carbon fiber: how was your business born?

Enrico Rocchinotti (ER): The original idea of ​​producing non-woven carbon fiber fabric for various applications was not ours and dates back about 10 years ago. The scrap of dry carbon fiber was collected from other companies that employed virgin carbon fiber in their processes, and was worked to create non-woven fabric. This product certainly had good potential, but volumes, finances and machinery for large-scale production were lacking. In 2015 my business partner, Luca Mattace Raso, and myself decided to invest in this fabric’s industrial production, and the following year Innovative Recycling was in production.

CN: And did you start to market this non-woven fabric?

ER: We tried to commercialize it, yes, but in the meanwhile we realized that as half-processed product, this fabric hadn’t a market. It was necessary to take a step forward and offer the market a finished product. Then we found an Italian company operating in the dental sector, on the forefront in proposing dental prostheses made of carbon fiber. They were looking for a material to get 81 disks from that, after being milled, would become a very innovative dental prosthesis.

Well, our mat, impregnated with a specifically developed bioresin, and transformed into a one square meter plate that was 2 cm thick, was right for them.

CN: And how does this carbon fiber become a plate?

ER: To obtain a sheet with high mechanical features, we couldn’t use the traditional production method with pre-impregnation. The non-woven recycled carbon fiber fabric, in fact, once put in a line to be pulled, impregnated with resin and then pressed, tore. We therefore turned to Cannon and together we studied an alternative solution. The non-woven fabric is thus cut into sheets of one square meters, impregnated with a bioresin (which was specifically developed by Jaime Ferrer-Dalmau of R* Concept) through liquid lay down (LLD) technology as a dedicated station, put on other sheets equally impregnated – 70 of them are stacked – to form a mat which is then pressed into a hot mold using a 750 ton press. With this process we obtain the plate from which to get the disks for dental prostheses.

CN: What an interesting application. Why was recycled carbon fiber suitable for dental prosthesis?

ER: Carbon fiber, in general, is a very light and flexible material. It weighs one eighth of the materials currently on the market and used for this application, such as zirconia, ceramic and titanium, and due to its features, it gives the feeling of having your own teeth. This is an incredible material for this specific application because it has better biointegration, greater fatigue resistance and maximum flexibility.

CN: Let’s take a step back: where do you get the carbon fiber you regenerate?

ER: Our suppliers are mainly Italian companies that use carbon fiber in their production. They waste about 25% of it. This waste is not impregnated with resin, but the carbon fiber is dry and we treat it with a cold mechanical process. Part of this material is grinded, and is used in the automotive sector for brake pad production. Another part is chopped and used in construction to be meshed with mortar or cement bond. And the finest is weaved.

CN: How did we support you in this complex project?

ER: We interfaced with you during all phases and, certainly, the problems related to manufacturing this product. We have to say that the availability of your laboratory for doing tests and the support and competence of your technicians have been pivotal in developing and fine-tuning the whole process. The result is that we succeeded in industrializing such a complex product in about 6 months, a very short time considering that the average time is 5-6 years.

CN: Are there other applications for this plate or for recycled carbon fiber?

ER: At present, we are working mainly in the medical sector. The plant we bought from you was conceived for dedicated medical applications. Now we are studying how to produce the same plate with a thickness of at least 4 cm, from which we can obtain prostheses for joints. It is a very challenging project.

Other applications of this material are walls for naval cabins, false ceilings, parts of car braking systems, rear parts of aircraft seats, aesthetic parts.

CN: And what about future projects?

ER: Our ambition, in partnership with Cannon, is to find applications for recycled carbon fiber that can replace metal. One of the products on which we are focusing on is the buckle for belts or shoes. A carbon fiber buckle sensibly reduces the final product’s overall weight.