CIDETEC Surface Engineering is developing a safer and recyclable epoxy for the railway sector as part of the European Surpass project.
With the goal of building lighter and more sustainable trains, CIDETEC Surface Engineering is developing an epoxy (a type of structural or engineering adhesive) using 3R technology (repairable, recyclable, and reprocessable). The Basque technological center is formulating a recyclable and sustainable epoxy compound that will, according to the center, «replace heavy metal parts used in train construction, making them lighter and, consequently, reducing CO2 emissions.»
CIDETEC Surface Engineering is leading this work as part of the railway sector use case within the Surpass project, which has been ongoing for a year and a half, with the objective, according to them, of «leading the transition to a safer, more sustainable, and recyclable design of polymeric materials that eliminates the harmful consequences that the use of plastics can have on both people and the environment.»
Currently, a group of researchers from the technological center, along with experts from ICT Fraunhofer and BASF, are working to ensure that this material is also fire-resistant and complies with railway regulations. «The goal is to develop a sustainable composite (recyclable epoxy resin + fibers) for use in the manufacture of structural parts of a train carriage,» it details. For the development of the epoxy, «the railway company Talgo is part of the Advisory Board,» notes CIDETEC Surface Engineering.
In the European project, the technological center is adapting the 3R technology it patented in 2014 to the needs of the railway sector. «This technology is applicable to all sectors using composite materials (aerospace, automotive, wind power, sports…),» it highlights.
Use cases for construction and packaging
The European project, coordinated by the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), with a budget of nearly 5 million euros, is also developing two other use cases in parallel for the construction and packaging sectors. Together with the transport sector, «they generate 70% of European plastic demand, so it’s essential to address them to introduce sustainability from their design and create a trend change in the industry,» it clarifies.
The goal of the Surpass project is «to develop a digital tool that will support SMEs on which components are necessary to develop a safe and sustainable formulation,» it details. The project’s planned duration is 42 months, starting on June 1, 2022, and ending on November 30, 2025.
