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KIST Transfers CFRP Recycling Technology to Catackh (2017.11.23)
- Date : 2017-12-06
- Views : 8729
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International Cooperation Team
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KIST Transfers CFRP Recycling Technology to Catackh
On November 23, during the 2nd Public Technology Transfer Roadshow at Sejong University in Seoul, the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) and Catackh signed an agreement on transferring new technology for recycling carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP)*. A down payment of KRW 1.5 billion was agreed upon, with a licensing fee of 3%. The two organizations also agreed to collaborate on further research into CFRP recycling practices.
*CFRP: Lighter than aluminum but harder than steel, CFRP is used in everything from sports equipment to automobiles to ocean vessels to air/spacecraft.
Disposal of used CFRP is conventionally done via burial or incineration. Unfortunately, CFRP is toxic and non-biodegradable, causing serious environmental damage. That is why Dr. Goh Munju of the Carbon Composite Materials Research Center at the KIST Jeonbuk Institute of Advanced Composite Materials recently led a team in developing an ecofriendly alternative for reclaiming CFRP at low cost.
This innovative recycling technology runs on water and an inexpensive additive, requiring very little energy. It can restore 95% of used CFRP back to high-quality, making it both ecofriendly and economical. It can also be used to recycle epoxy, making it potentially applicable for industrial products like epoxy paints and circuit boards.
By transferring this technology, KIST and Catackh aim to corner the CFRP recycling market.