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Advanced Composites Group

The Advanced Composites Group is a reasearch group within the University of Strathclyde. The main focus of the group is the study of polymeric and composite materials for both, scientific and industrial purposes.

Examples of Areas of Research

Reinforcement Fibre Performance Research

 

The Advanced Composites Group (ACG) is one of the largest research groups in the UK specializing in the area of fibrous reinforcement for polymeric materials. The ACG currently hold numerous EPSRC/industrial funded projects, covering multiple types of reinforced fibers, such as glass fibre, carbon fibre, natural fibre and polymer fibre.

 

The research in these areas currently focuses on:

 

  • ​Structure-performance relationship.

  • ​Surface characterisation and engineering.

  • Thermal history.

  • ​Anisotropy characterisation.

  • ​Environmental effect.

  • ​Recycling and regeneration.

Recycling, Processing and Manufacturing Research

 

Committed to the sustainable development of fibre reinforced composites, the Advanced Composites Group (ACG) is at the frontier in the research for the development of the closed-loop recycling for glass fibre composites. With over £1 million-worth of research projects and collaborating with 7 UK universities, ACG undertakes collaborative research into material sustainability for the automotive and renewable energy industries.

 

Key research areas include:

 

  • Developing a fundamental understanding of the effect of recycling process on recycled fibre reinforcement.

  • Regenerating reinforcement performance.

  • Reprocessing regenerated reinforcement for composite materials.

  • Assessing performance of composites based on reused fibre reinforcement.

  • Developing surface coatings to facilitate recycling processes.

Composite Recycling Collaborator

Hambleside Danelaw Building Products is a project collaborator in the recycling of composite materials with the Advanced Composites Group (ACG).The company specialises in glass fibre reinforced plastic (GRP) roofing systems and glass reinforced polyester products. Hambleside Danelaw have been working closely with multiple independent and academic organisations in order to create a system with the ability of recycling GRP at the end of its useful life.  

 

When completed the ACG hope to use the fluidised bed rig to recycle some of Hambleside Danelaw’s waste composite material.

© 2015 Strathclyde Fluidised Bed

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