Hive Composites is pioneering a transformative shift in lightweight vehicle manufacturing by delivering fully recyclable, high-performance thermoplastic composites combined with in-situ bonding and disbonding technology in a project called **DeLiMAT _(Design for Lightweighting, Material recovery, And disassembly Technologies)._** Our innovative approach addresses one of the most pressing sustainability challenges in the industry---material recovery and circularity. By demonstrating advanced bonding and on-demand disbonding solutions for these fully recyclable materials, we enable recovery, reuse, and recycling of vehicle components, dramatically reducing waste and lifecycle emissions. Why this matters: Fibre-reinforced plastic composites are essential for decarbonising transportation through lightweighting, which directly improves electric vehicle range and efficiency. Although thermoset composites dominate today's market due to ease of processing, their inability to be recycled poses significant environmental and economic obstacles. Fully melt-reprocessable thermoplastic composites represent a game-changing, sustainable alternative---yet their adoption has been slow due to technical challenges such as high melt viscosity and demanding processing conditions, which limit fibre impregnation and increase production costs. Hive's solution is a revolutionary low-melt viscosity thermoplastic resin, METOL, which uniquely combines the best of both worlds: it can be processed using conventional thermoset techniques (prepreg and resin infusion), achieves superior mechanical properties with high fibre volume fractions (\>70%), and offers full recyclability through solvolysis---recovering base materials without degradation, avoiding downcycling and extending material lifecycles. By replacing high-carbon, conventional structural materials with this new generation of fibre-reinforced thermoplastic composites combined with disbond-on-demand technologies, Hive Composites is enabling a future where lightweighting, modular reuse, and circular material recovery become industry standards---directly supporting the UK's net zero ambitions and circular economy goals.

This project will mature and validate a range of innovative materials and processes to underpin a future wide-body Business Class (BC) seat to be known as "EcoSuite" and to enable substantial enhancements to Wide-body First Class (FC) bespoke seats. The innovations introduced via EcoSuite are aimed at addressing market concerns around weight, environmental impact, lead-time and cost. Realisation of the EcoSuite will require the project to mature a range of sustainable and lightweight materials, develop and refine new efficient manufacturing processes, and validate the new material and process technologies via the integration of the new technologies into EcoSuite demonstrators.

This project will provide a unique and valuable addition to the materials palette by combining the advantages of thermoset and thermoplastic composites, but with ultra-high temperature resistance. Our innovation arises by combining dry UD fibre with a new high temperature resin formulation, which is not currently on the market. This will create an intermediate tape composite material that can be laid up or formed like a thermoplastic, but which can be subsequently crosslinked like a thermoset and withstand temperatures of more than 350°C. It therefore sits in a unique category of its own and offers a new set of design, manufacturing, and performance advantages.

Climate change is a topic that is high on the policy agenda and attracts substantial media and public interest. Renewable energies like wind are an important part of decarbonising our economy and slowing climate change. Wind turbine blades are made from a combination of reinforced fibres (usually glass or carbon fibres) and a polymer matrix. These composites boost the performance of wind turbines, allowing for lighter and longer blades with optimised aerodynamics. But the materials used create challenges for recycling of the blades at end of life, creating a dichotomy where the product uses renewable energy to generate sustainable energy but where the material used in large parts of the product and not recyclable. Most wind turbine blades are made from thermoset materials (epoxy, polyester, vinyl-ester). However, thermoset composites can only be heated/shaped once (molecular changes mean that they are "cured") meaning they are difficult to recycle, resulting in stockpiles of end-of-life WT blades with most ending up in landfill. Sustainability initiatives mean there is a drive towards thermoplastic composites (TPCs) which can be heated/shaped/heated/reshaped and are recyclable. The LV\_Wind project will demonstrate the performance of a unique & cost-effective thermoplastic material that has the very low processing viscosity of a thermoset matrix (good wettability of fibres, high fibre volume fraction) but with the physical characteristics of a thermoplastic material (recyclable, tough, durable, heat formable). The low viscosity of the polymer at processing temperature enables additives (stealth, fire resistance, multi-functionality) to be delivered in the materials whilst remaining processable and highly recyclable. This will enable high-performance structural products to be manufactured at a suitable rate and cost and where materials can be recovered at the end of the useable life of the wind turbine blade, thereby significantly reducing the amount of blade materials going to landfill.

ASCEND is an industry led, cross-sector consortium brought together by GKN Aerospace, focussed on developing & accelerating UK composites capability to meet the requirement of single aisle, business jets & future mobility markets. ASCEND will develop the UK value chain in readiness for a step-change in use of lightweight structures, at high-rates. ASCEND brings new entrants, established small, high-growth & Tier-1 partners together to collaborate on delivering flexible automated capability. Connecting best in-class of talent, experience, & market access in one programme. ASCEND delivers UK capability for advanced, lightweight structures to meet demand in electric & hybrid propulsion aerospace structures.

The reduced road and air transport during the COVID lockdown resulted in visibly clearer and cleaner air and has made many assess the impact of transport on the air that we breathe. Electric propulsion for cars, buses, trains, and planes supports the **transition** to **lower emission** transport. The battery of choice for these applications are Lithium Ion Batteries (LIB). For safe use, the battery packs must be maintained within a defined voltage and temperature window; limits can be exceeded by damage (accidents, rapid deceleration etc), excessive external temperatures, charging too quickly, overcharging or manufacturing defects. Chemical reactions may be triggered internally leading to a short circuit or increase in the temperature which can lead to thermal runaway and the LIBs catching fire. Hence, there is a need to provide lithium ion battery fire containment for as long as possible to aid occupant evacuation in auto, marine, rail and aerospace sectors. Most LIB casings are made from metal (steel, aluminium) providing mechanical support to the cells. These battery casings are typically heavy; lighter versions can be made using carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers (CFRP) and several prototype CFRP battery cases have been developed. However, there are no known solutions that combine lightweight CFRP structural battery cases with intrinsic fire containment. HIVE is an innovation-based business developing disruptive composite materials technologies with significant potential for growth and scale-up. Hive have a carbon-nanotube (CNT) based solution that can be incorporated into resins and/or deployed on the surface of structural CFRP to impart multi-functionality through significantly improved fire and thermal conductivity whilst maintaining structural performance. When coated on a composite material, preliminary tests have shown the time to ignition of the parent material is doubled. Thermal conductivity of the composite materials will also be modified for better thermal management of the batteries. The weight of the CNT materials either within the matrix or on the surface of the composite battery cases will add a few grammes to the overall composite battery case but has the opportunity to double the containment time for a battery fire, thereby adding passive safety for occupants at minimal weight and cost. Use of composite battery cases will therefore reduce overall battery pack weight compared with metallic versions. This project will develop a **cost-effective passive fire protection material system** for composite battery cases using a unique format of Carbon nanotube (CNT) materials and will generate the data to demonstrate the performance of these materials for implementation across multiple transport sectors.

Awaiting Public Project Summary

COVID-19 and other viruses and diseases are spread from person-to-person through small droplets from the nose or mouth which are spread when a person coughs or exhales and the droplets land on objects and surfaces. Others can catch the highly infectious virus by directly inhaling the droplets or touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth. The World Health Organisation (WHO) and UK Government advice is to wash hands frequently for 20 seconds using soap and warm water to inhibit the spread of the virus. Soap breaks the fat membrane of the virus and the virus then becomes inactive. Wearing gloves is a convenient way to minimise contamination from viruses, diseases and germs and keep hands clean, but they are only useful when handwashing is either not possible or is insufficient to prevent contamination. If they are worn, they need to be changed frequently. Even if gloves are worn for protection, virus transfer can still occur through touching of face, when taking gloves on and off and cross-contamination from touching multiple items. It only takes one mistake and the virus can be transmitted into the body. In this unique project, we will develop materials for gloves that are biodegradable, dissolvable in water and contain anti-viral & soap additives. Anyone wearing the gloves would wash them off in warm water at 40-50C instead of taking them off. The materials will be stable under normal use but the application of water at 40-50C will trigger the dissolution of the material, release the soap/foaming agents and all will be washed down the drain under the hand-washing action in the recommended 20 seconds. Use of such dissolvable gloves will significantly reduce the risk of virus and infectious disease transfer.