This chapter presents the lesson learnt from several European projects supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) which integrated remanufacturing (the process of restoring used products to like-new condition) education into the curriculum of engineering and business programs. The projects, implemented in partnership with both universities and companies, designed teaching materials and then experimented with those in formats such as workshops and online digital nuggets on remanufacturing. The projects’ objective was to foster a skilled workforce that could contribute to the transition to a circular economy and to promote sustainable development. The projects emphasized interdisciplinary collaboration in order to promote sustainable product design and supply chain management. The chapter discusses the pedagogical approaches adopted, and offers evaluative case studies illustrating successful implementation in different educational contexts. The projects in question showed that a collaborative approach between universities and companies was effective in promoting the integration of remanufacturing education into the curriculum. The outcomes included the development of a network of educators and industry professionals who could share best practices, experiences, and knowledge related to remanufacturing education. The projects’ success highlights the importance of collaborative European projects in promoting sustainable development and fostering a skilled workforce which can contribute to the transition to a circular economy.

This work studied the effects of adding short basalt fibers (BFs) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), both separately and in combination, on the mechanical properties, fracture toughness, and electrical conductivity of an epoxy polymer. The surfaces of the short BFs were either treated using a silane coupling agent or further functionalized by atmospheric plasma to enhance the adhesion between the BFs and the epoxy. The results of a single fiber fragmentation test demonstrated a significantly improved BF/epoxy adhesion upon applying the plasma treatment to the BFs. This resulted in better mechanical properties and fracture toughness of the composites containing the plasma-activated BFs. The improved BF/epoxy adhesion also affected the hybrid toughening performance of the BFs and MWCNTs. In particular, synergistic toughening effects were observed when the plasma-activated BFs/MWCNTs hybrid modifiers were used, while only additive toughening effects occurred for the silane-sized BFs/MWCNTs hybrid modifiers. This work demonstrated a potential to develop strong, tough, and electrically conductive epoxy composites by adding hybrid BF/MWCNT modifiers.

The present work is concerned with adhesive bonding of thermoplastic composites used in general aerospace applications, including polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyetherimide (PEI) and polyetheretherketone (PEEK) carbon fibre composites. Three different surface treatments have been applied to the PEEK, PPS and PEI-based composites in order to enhance the adhesion: atmospheric plasma, ultraviolet radiation (UV) and isopropanol wiping as a control. Water contact angles and free surface energies were measured following the standard experimental procedure based on the employment of three different liquid droplets. Infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were subsequently performed to characterize the surface chemistry of the samples after treatment. The single lap joints were manufactured and bonded by an Aerospace grade epoxy-based film adhesive originally developed for use on metals but with the ability to bond treated thermoplastics to good strength (supplied by Henkel Ireland). Quasi-static (QS) tests were conducted. The lap shear strength was evaluated, and the failure mechanisms of the different joints were examined for the range of surface treatments considered. It was found that the performances of the PEEK and PPS joints were considerably improved by the plasma and UV treatments resulting in cohesive and delamination failures, while PEI was unaffected by the plasma and UV treatments and performed very well throughout.