CARMEN
Scaling Up Carbon Concrete Processing Using Electro Impulse Technology
| Grant ID: | 03WIR6023 |
| Partners: |
C3 |
| Duration: | 11/2026 – 04/2029 |
| Contact: |
Motivation
The increasing use of fiber-reinforced construction materials, particularly carbon concrete, requires recycling processes with capabilities to recover the fibers they contain. Because the manufacturing process for carbon fibers is energy-intensive, recovering and reusing them with as little loss as possible is of great ecological and economic importance. The goal is to establish closed-loop material cycles, conserve resources, and reduce CO₂ emissions.
Challenge
The central challenge lies in separating the fibers from the surrounding matrix as completely as possible. Conventional mechanical processing methods often result in fibers remaining in the concrete matrix or being damaged during comminution. This increases the effort required for subsequent processing steps and disposal. At the same time, high throughput rates must be achieved during cost-effective operation to enable industrial application.
Technical Approach
The electrical impulse method (EIV) enables selective separation of the matrix and fiber reinforcement through electrical discharges in the solid material. The different electrical properties of the materials are exploited in a targeted manner in this process. Building on the positive results of the predecessor project AMELIE, the CARMEN project is further developing a prototype—which previously operated in batches—into a continuous processing plant with a target throughput of up to 500 kg/h. The demonstrator is intended to lay the groundwork for the industrial integration of the process into existing recycling processes.
Part of the WIRreFa | WIR! recyceln Fasern (We recycle fibers) project
