Founded in July 2014, Vartega has developed a patent pending recycling technology to address the 15,000 metric tons of carbon fiber waste that is being landfilled and incinerated every year. It was clear from the beginning that the company will not only focus on AM. The first time I heard about them, they were working with Braskem on a polypropylene filament that includes 100% recycled carbon fiber.
That was 3 years ago, in 2021. And then radio silence until recently with the close of an “oversubscribed $10M preferred equity financing” led by Diamond Edge Ventures. If the company will continue to address advanced materials recycling challenges, we might expect to focus on Additive Manufacturing alongside materials used in automotive, consumer electronics and sporting goods.
Vartega explains that its proprietary recycling processes enable the recovery and conversion of high-performance carbon fiber used in advanced materials for aerospace components, automotive parts, and wind turbine blades – all vertical industries adopting AM technologies.
What happened since Braskem?
If Vartega has never really communicated about its partnership with Braskem, it’s important to say they have never stopped working together. This partnership has expanded with Xtellar, a materials 3D printing company created through the combination of Braskem’s 3D materials division and Taulman3. Through a 5-year partnership, they will work together on the development of sustainable materials for additive manufacturing.
Today, Xtellar is producing 4 different materials for Additive Manufacturing applications that utilize Vartega’s recycled carbon fiber. Products such as Xtellar’s FL900PP-CF, a 100% recycled carbon fiber reinforced polypropylene 3D filament, has quickly become one of the top selling materials in its segment due its unique balance of lightweight and high toughness.
Under this extended partnership, Vartega and Xtellar have jointly invested to expand manufacturing and research capabilities at Vartega’s facility located in Golden, Colorado. Additionally, Xtellar and Vartega will combine their expertise and resources to expand upon the development of cutting-edge sustainable materials for additive manufacturing, exploring a wider combination of recycled fibers and recycled resins. This collaboration will drive the development of high-performance, eco-friendly materials that reduce waste and environmental impact while enhancing the capabilities of additive manufacturing. Through these combined efforts Xtellar plans to launch at least 5 new high performance and sustainable formulations in the next 18 months, Vartega says.
As for the funds? They will be allocated to fully utilize Vartega’s new 82,000 square foot production facility and commercialize additional recycling processes to broaden feedstock availability. The company aims to continue collaborating with industry partners to integrate recycled carbon fiber into various applications including the ones of AM.
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