SUSPENS 36M Meeting
SUSPENS Project held its M36 meeting on January 27–28 in Athens, Greece, hosted by R-NanoLab. Representatives from the project’s 13 partner organizations gathered to review the last achievements and evaluate progress toward reducing the environmental footprint of composite structures in the automotive, leisure boat, and aerospace industries, as the project approaches its conclusion in June.
During the meeting, R-NanoLab presented important advancements within WP2, developed in collaboration with Centexbel, focusing on the production of sustainable carbon fiber from lignin-based precursors. The team also showcased characterization results of stabilized and carbonized lignin fibers, including ATR measurements and TGA Analysis.
Within WP4, R-NanoLab introduced to a novel coupled carbonization–pyrolysis pilot line designed to integrate carbon fiber production with end-of-life composite pyrolysis. This innovative system aims to significantly reduce the energy consumption typically associated with conventional composite pyrolysis processes. By combining the two processes, the pilot line enables energy savings, reduces emissions, minimizes the use of inert gases such as nitrogen and argon, and supports the recovery of carbon fibers while valorizing liquid by-products for the production of new materials, including nanomaterials and monomers.
The consortium also visited NTUA’s facilities related to Work Packages 2 and 4, where the stabilization and carbonization furnaces for lignin-based carbon fiber production were demonstrated, along with the new carbonization–pyrolysis line currently under construction to enable a more sustainable recycling process.
The meeting concluded with a visit to the Acropolis Museum and an evening exploration of Athens, providing an inspiring cultural backdrop to a productive and forward-looking event.
