Skip to main content
Project Showcase//

Boeing: Carbon Fiber Recycling Strategy to Achieve Zero Waste-to-Landfill

2015

Student Team

  • Akul Bali – EGL (BSE Electrical Engineering/MSE Industrial and Operations Engineering)
  • Kelsea Ballantyne – Dual (MBA & Master of Science in Natural Resources & Environment)
  • Martha Neubauer – EGL (BSE Chemical Engineering/MSE Industrial and Operations Engineering)

Project Sponsors

  • Tia H Benson Tolle – Director, Advanced Materials, BCA Product Development
  • Hardik Dalal – Project Manager, Carbon Fiber Recycling, Advanced Materials, BCA Product Development
  • Nicholas Room – Manager, Structural Composites, Advanced Materials, BCA Product Development

Faculty Advisors

  • Erdogan Gulari – College of Engineering
  • Peter Lenk – Ross School of Business

A Tauber team helped Boeing plan carbon fiber recycling for its new 777X Composite Wing Center. The team developed a method to estimate waste types and volumes, modeled material handling needs, and piloted waste segregation at the point of use. Its recommendations supported recycling partnerships and Boeing’s goal of eliminating landfill waste.

Read Boeing’s press release here: (Boeing, ELG Carbon Fibre find a new life for airplane structure material in groundbreaking partnership).