Researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a way to turn hard-to-recycle aircraft composite waste into lightweight aerogels. The new material could be used for thermal insulation, sound absorption and oil spill clean-up.
The research was led by Associate Professor Duong Hai Minh from NUS’s Department of Mechanical Engineering. The study, published in Waste Management on June 29, 2026, uses both the carbon fibre and epoxy parts of composite waste instead of throwing away the resin.
Carbon fibre and epoxy composites are common in aircraft, wind turbines, cars and marine equipment because they are strong, light and resistant to corrosion. Recycling them is difficult because cured epoxy cannot simply be melted and reshaped like ordinary plastics.
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The NUS team uses a different approach. Researchers mechanically break the waste into fine powder and short fibre pieces, mix it with carboxymethyl cellulose, a cellulose-based binder, and then freeze-dry the mixture to create an aerogel.
The freeze-drying process creates a very light structure filled with tiny connected pores. Because much of the material is air, it slows the movement of heat. Laboratory tests showed that the resulting aerogel has low thermal conductivity, making it suitable for lightweight insulation.
The material can also absorb sound, giving the recycled composite another possible use. After being treated to repel water, the aerogel was also able to absorb large amounts of oil, which could make it useful for oil spill response and separating oil from water.
The research is still at the development stage, and more work is needed before the material can be produced on a large industrial scale. The team plans to study its environmental and economic impact while working with aerospace, manufacturing, advanced materials and waste-management companies.
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The project matters because composite waste is expected to become a bigger recycling challenge as industries use more lightweight materials. According to NUS, using both the carbon fibre and epoxy could turn a difficult waste stream into useful products instead of focusing only on recovering the fibres.
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