ABSTRACT
Thermoset composites are versatile materials that are characterized by high mechanical strength and low weight. Consequently, thermoset materials have found their way into many applications in industries such as marine, automotive, and aerospace. Thermoset materials are however known to be difficult to recycle. The problem can be described as follows. While thermoplastic materials and metals can easily be remelted and processed into new materials, thermosets are cross-linked materials that cannot be melted. Second, composite materials are complexly composed materials consisting of plastics, fibers, and often fillers and core materials. Metals can also be integrated into composites. Furthermore, there is a wide range of different composite materials consisting of very different components. These composites need to be collected, identified, and sorted. This needs to be done in a cost-efficient way. Consequently, there are both technical and economic aspects to consider.
