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This sidebar to the September 2016 feature story on the emerging commercial space industry focuses on Habitats and CubeSats.

Impressive industry growth puts a new emphasis on the role of carbon fiber recycling.

US-based Carver Non-Woven Technologies offers nonwovens made with glass fiber, bast, carbon fiber, basalt fiber and thermoplastic fibers in densities ranging from 300-2,400 gsm.

JIm Stike, of Materials Innovation Technologies – Reengineered Carbon Fibers (Fletcher, N.C.), points to progress in the reclaiming of waste and end-of-life carbon fiber.

As the first commercial-scale carbon fiber recycling operations go online, research continues into both recycling alternatives and applications for recyclate.

Thanks to the 787 and the A350 XWB aircraft programs, the composites industry has more scrap carbon fiber prepreg than it knows what to do with. At least, not yet.

Fresh from the IACMI's recent Detroit conclave, CW editor-in-chief Jeff Sloan notes the attendees' admirable commitment to ensure that the carbon fiber composites we build today will be recyclable tomorrow, but asks who will be there, as those products reach end of life, to buy and reuse those reclaimed materials?

Composites — in particular, those reinforced with carbon fiber — continue to make headway into the automotive world, but suppliers of competing steel and aluminum are fighting back.

Vacuum infusion with customized fabrics enables demanding yacht build

Latest developments in qualification, production and applications for aerospace and automotive.