JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #90 - June/July 2014 - 5

posite waste, which constitutes a
major impediment for upgrading. Our studies have looked
into the development of specific
equipment and the toxicity of
composites when reduced to
powder state. We work actively
with many organisations such
as the French Environment and
Energy Management Agency
(ADEME). For us, the brakes
on development currently come
from past habits and the cost of
developing and operating recycling systems. The objective is, of
course, to avoid landfilling with
general industrial waste. For this
work, we are banking very much
on collaborative research and development approaches. It's hard
to make any predictions looking
toward 2020.
JCM: Concerning recycling, and
beyond landfilling or energy recovery, you seem to be studying
other solutions. Could you give us
an example of this?

A.R. & S.P. : Since 2007,

we have been working on a
recycling process using mechanical grinding. Seven years after
launching this project, we have
validated the feasibility of the
grinding of glass/polyester composite waste in industrial quantities. We have, in a way, invented
a new material by incorporating
the ground material, the particle
size of which is less than 5 mm,

in a thermoplastic matrix (see
Fig. 1). We have filed for a patent. Another process consists in
incorporating the ground material in a polyester resin by casting
and vacuum infusion.
JCM: How is your collaboration
organised with structures such as
the French Ministry for Industry,
the industrial sector and the
academic world?

A.R. & S.P. : The R&D

projects are partly financed by
the local authorities, the French
Ministry of Research and European funding programmes such
as FEDER Recherche. With
the R&D programmes, CRITT
MPC - which is a centre of
technological resources - brings
together companies (major
industrial corporations and
SMEs) with academic partners
(ENSMA, Ecole des Mines
and many others). We set great
store by this complementarity,
which is reflected in our Board
of Directors, with a third of the
directors coming from business,
a third from the academic world
and a third from local authorities.
JCM: How do you manage intellectual property rights for pooled
research programmes?

A.R. & S.P. : Intellec-

tual property rights for pooled
projects derive directly from

the stipulations laid out in the
collaboration agreements. Intellectual property is apportioned
according to what each partner
brings. Special cases may apply to specific projects where
the industrial partner(s) have
exclusive rights of use. Generally
speaking, we still have some way
to go in terms of the publication
of the patents resulting from our
studies.
JCM: How can SMEs benefit
from your advice and support
in their research and innovation
procedures?

A.R. & S.P. : The first condi-

tion - and no doubt the most
important one - consists in
assessing the genuine will of the
company to become involved
and make a commitment for the
entire duration of the project.
Subject to this condition, any
SME or major corporation can
benefit from our advice and
support in all of their R&D and
innovation procedures. This may
include being entitled to specific
financial aid when the projects
are genuinely innovative. The
work is in general eligible to
the research tax credit (CIR).
We can offer the benefit of our
genuine competence with regard
to all of these administrative and
financial topics.
JCM: For 20 years, CRITT MPC
has had accreditation from
many key players in the world
of aerospace; what emblematic
examples of this can you give us?

A.R. & S.P. : As an active mem-

The letter-opener contain 40% composite waste

ber of the competitive clusters
(EMC2, Aerospace Valley, etc.),
we are NADCAP-accredited and
recognised by the DGAC and
the EASA. We are also qualified
by Airbus Group and Safran.
With all these accreditations,
we have been involved in some
No90 June - July 2014 /

significant research programmes.
Here are some examples:
- Collaborative project on the
design and manufacturing of the
pilot's seat for the aircraft of the
future
- Design and dimensioning of
the wings of the Airbus Innovation E-Fan electric aircraft. A
plant where this aircraft is to be
manufactured is currently being
built in Bordeaux.
- Certification by the DGAC
and the EASA for cabin interior
fittings, ultra-lightweight passenger seats and wings for stunt
aircraft such as the Cap 10.
- Certification of insulation
materials and systems for the
transport and storage of liquefied natural gas. A partnership
with the engineering company
Gaz Transport Technigaz was
entered into over 15 years ago
and continues to run today.
JCM: What are your projects for
tomorrow?

A.R. & S.P. : Our projects are

both organisational and technical. In terms of organisation,
we shall be developing our site
set-up to cater to our major customers beyond our base on the
west coast. Technically, and in
the field of composites, we shall
be pursuing our studies into the
grinding of composite waste and
undertaking programmes on
more innovative materials such
as carbon/epoxy composites. In
conjunction with our other lines
of development, these projects
will make it possible to develop
new skills, expand the business
of CRITT MPC and raise its
profile. n
More information:
www.crittmateriaux.fr
Contacts:
a.roy@crittmateriaux.fr
s.papin@crittmateriaux.fr

jec composites magazine 5

http://www.crittmateriaux.fr

JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #90 - June/July 2014

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