Carbon fibre and composites recycler Vartega is increasing its capacity by a factor of ten with the opening of its new 50,000-square-foot manufacturing facility and HQ at the Pecos Logistics Park in Denver, Colorado.

The company has developed a low-cost grade of carbon fibre with the same mechanical properties of virgin material through the use of a patented recycling process. Vartega’s recycled fibres are used in broad ranging applications including nonwoven fabrics, thermoplastic pellets and 3D printing filaments.

Much of the feedstock for Vartega’s process comes from high grade pre-impregnated scrap material, such as that used in the aerospace industry where the scrap rate is typically 30%. This expensive waste can be recycled and repurposed to minimise lost value and maximise the environmental benefit of carbon fibre. Scrap carbon fibre from aerospace structures can be readily repurposed for use in aircraft interiors, automotive applications, consumer products, and sporting goods.

The new facility was selected to meet the growing demand for both recycled carbon fibre and Vartega’s EasyFeed carbon fibre bundles. With a planned capacity of 2,000 metric tons per year, Vartega will continue to serve its growing customer base in North America as well as address new opportunities in Europe and Asia.

“The Vartega team has worked diligently over the past few years to develop products and processes that solve challenging waste problems,” says Andrew Maxey, CEO of Vartega. “We’re grateful for the considerable trust that our customers and investors have put in us to meet the needs of a changing world. Advanced materials recycling is no longer nice to have, it’s a must have. Our new facility will be a world class manufacturing environment that will allow our team to operate safely and efficiently to deliver a reliable source of high-quality recycled carbon fibre while contributing to our community and providing a meaningful benefit to all our stakeholders.”

www.vartega.com