The ESTELLA consortium held its First General Assembly on the 7th and 8th of February in León (Spain). The aim of this meeting was to review the current status of all the tasks carried out during the project and to present the next steps.
In addition to this meeting, the presentation of the project to the general public took place on the 7th with a press conference at the University of León. Several media attended the call and the news was published in several digital newspapers in the region (https://www.diariodeleon.es/articulo/leon/ule-estrena-proyecto-reciclar-materiales-dificil-reutilizacion/202302071042302301775.html).
The main objective of the ESTELLA project is to increase the sustainability of thermosetting epoxy composites by acting on the whole value chain of the materials, starting from the design stage through the introduction of CAN bonds in both fossil- and bio-based matrices and fibres. Ultimately this will enable their recycling, while redefining all manufacturing and recycling processes involved, ensuring the maximal recovery rate of its components, and strengthening the environmental and economical dimensions of thermosetting composites value chain.
In this first phase of the project, two main tasks are being carried out: the development of raw materials and the investigation of microorganisms capable of degrading the developed composite. On the one hand, raw material developers are engaged in polymer design and functionalisation and fibres in order to be able to start manufacturing the tailor-made biocomposites in the coming year. On the other hand, microorganism researchers are evaluating the different species that appear in cultures made from commercial epoxy resins.
For more information on ESTELLA, please visit www.estellaproject.eu
The research leading to these results has received funding from Horizon Europe Programme under grant agreement nº 101058371.