Uplift360 re-spins para-aramid fibers for defense uses

Uplift360, a chemical recycling company, has developed a proprietary chemical process to dissolve and re-spin para-aramid fibers such as Kevlar^® and Twaron^®into continuous, high-performance fibers.

The company’s chemical recycling technology dissolves para-aramid fibers using a non-sulfuric acid solvent system, then re-spins them into continuous fibers with dry-wet jet spinning. During scale-up trials, the company successfully spun a continuous fiber that was several hundred meters in length.

Uplift360’s recycling technologies are used to regenerate materials such as carbon fiber and para-aramid fibers for use in the defense, aerospace, outdoor and automotive sectors. 

In June, the company was selected to participate in the REGEN project by the European Defense Agency as part of an initiative to integrate circularity in the European defense sector. Uplift360 will be recovering aramid fibers from ballistic vests and re-spinning them, in addition to developing solutions for removing PFAS coatings. The company will be working with three other organizations, including AITEX, a fabric testing company, to enhance the wet-spinning process.