1. Industrial technical and economic challenges

1.1 Recycling issues

This family of heterogeneous and often anisotropic materials mainly covers composites with thermosetting matrices (mainly unsaturated polyester, and to a lesser extent epoxy, phenolic, polyurethane, polyimide, etc.), which are increasingly competing with composites with thermoplastic matrices (polypropylene, polyamide, etc.). Reinforcements, most of which are glass-based, and to a lesser extent carbon- or aramid-based, are used in a variety of forms, from fibers (short or long cut, or continuous) to complex textile fabrics and preforms, sometimes combined with mineral fillers. There are few standard formulations, and for the majority of applications, the type and ratio of constituents (resin, reinforcement, fillers) are specifically defined "à façon" according...