MRO & Manufacturing
Daher Industrializes Thermoplastic Composite Upcycling in Aerospace
Daher accelerates industrial-scale upcycling of thermoplastic composites, recycling aerospace scrap into high-performance materials for aircraft manufacturing.
This article is based on an official press release from Daher.
French aerospace manufacturers Daher has announced a significant acceleration in the industrialization of thermoplastic composite upcycling. According to an official company press release, the group is preparing to supply upcycled materials to manufacturers facing challenges with production ramp-ups, material sovereignty, and decarbonization.
The announcement, made during the JEC World 2026 trade show in Paris, highlights Daher’s transition from research and development to industrial-scale deployment. The company confirmed it is structuring a complete upcycling value chain, capturing scrap material and reintroducing it into new manufacturing cycles.
As part of this initiative, Daher received two JEC Innovation Awards, recognizing its advancements in both aeronautical parts manufacturing and end-of-life aircraft recycling. The company noted that it has spent more than 10 years investing in thermoplastic composites to meet the rigorous demands of modern aeronautical programs.
The foundation of Daher’s upcycling strategy begins on the factory floor. In its press release, the company detailed a structured process implemented at its Saint-Aignan-de-Grandlieu plant in France’s Loire-Atlantique region, working in tandem with its Shap’in technology center. Production scrap is collected on-site, ground down, and transformed into a semi-finished product.
Currently, Daher reports that 100 percent of its pure carbon polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) scrap is upcycled through this method. The end result is a specialized pellet containing 56 percent carbon fiber. Because the material is derived from continuous fibers that are reprocessed into short fibers, it maintains high mechanical performance, including strong resistance to temperature, moisture, and chemical exposure.
The industrial scale-up of this process is expected to yield an estimated production capacity of four to eight metric tons of carbon PPS pellets per year. Daher noted in the release that it currently has 1.5 metric tons available for sale and is actively exploring customer applications, including uses outside the traditional aeronautics sector.
Additionally, the company has utilized the same scrap material to develop a filament for additive manufacturing, creating new avenues for 3D printing complex technical parts. A component produced using this new filament was displayed at the company’s JEC World 2026 booth. Beyond factory scrap, Daher is applying its thermoplastic expertise to retired aircraft components. A notable project, which secured a 2026 JEC Innovation Award, involves a collaboration with Airbus, Toray Advanced Composites, and Tarmac Aerosave.
According to the company statement, this partnership successfully recycled thermoplastic composite panels from a retired A380 aircraft. The panels were cut and reintegrated into the production line to manufacture new parts for the A320neo program. This demonstration underscores the viability of circular manufacturing in commercial-aircraft.
“For more than 10 years, we’ve invested in thermoplastic composites to meet aircraft manufacturers’ requirements in terms of production rates, weight reduction and performance. Today, we are taking a further step by industrializing materials derived from upcycling. This capability allows us to optimize the use of a strategic material, strengthen our material autonomy and open new application opportunities, both in aeronautics and beyond.”
We view Daher’s announcement as a critical indicator of the aerospace industry’s broader shift toward circular economy principles. As supply-chain constraints and material sovereignty remain pressing issues for global manufacturers, the ability to reclaim and reuse high-performance materials like carbon PPS offers a strategic buffer.
Furthermore, the successful integration of upcycled A380 panels into the A320neo production line demonstrates that recycled composites can meet the rigorous safety and performance standards required for commercial flight. If scaled effectively, these upcycling processes could significantly reduce the carbon footprint of aircraft manufacturing while lowering raw material costs.
It is the process of taking scrap or end-of-life thermoplastic composite materials and reprocessing them into new, high-performance materials for manufacturing, rather than discarding them as waste.
According to the company, the scaled-up process has an estimated production capacity of four to eight metric tons of carbon PPS pellets per year, with 1.5 metric tons currently available for sale.
Daher partnered with Airbus, Toray Advanced Composites, and Tarmac Aerosave to recycle thermoplastic panels from a retired A380 and use them to produce new parts for the A320neo.
Transforming Factory Scrap into Technical Materials
Scaling Up Production Capacity
Repurposing End-of-Life Aeronautical Structures
AirPro News analysis
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Photo Credit: Daher