Cygnet Texkimp, Longworth and NCC earn Composites UK 2022 Industry award

Cygnet Texkimp (Northwich, Cheshire, U.K.) and partners B&M Longworth’s (Edgworth, U.K.) and the National Composites Centre (NCC, Bristol, U.K.) have won the “Innovation in Materials” award at this year’s Composites UK Industry Awards.

The three organizations were recognized for a successful project in reclaiming and unwinding continuous fiber lengths from wound products — in this case, from a composite hydrogen tank — using the fiber recycling solution DEECOM, before rewinding the fibers into a new tank.

DEECOM uses superheated steam to reclaim fibers and resins from end-of-life (EOL) composite components and offers the potential for both elements to be reused in the manufacture of new parts (learn more about the technology and process here). The solution is being developed and commercialized by Cygnet Texkimp alongside industry partner and technology inventor Longworth, to help overcome the challenges of waste and supply in the global composites industry.

“The quality, length and consistency of fibers we’re able to reclaim make DEECOM a truly game-changing solution for composites manufacturers and end users working to address the major challenges of sustainability, supply and waste reduction,” Cygnet Texkimp CEO Luke Vardy says. “Through the processes of reclaiming and reusing, DEECOM provides the possibility of using every carbon fiber multiple times. Giving composite fibers multiple lifecycles means massively reducing their lifetime cost and environmental footprint and create a more abundant and consistent supply of carbon fiber.”