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• Ballast Impact Damage Characterization. Determination of Acceptance/Rejection Criteria for Railway Components Made of CFRP.

  F. García Piñeiro, M. Peinado, E. Ochoa

  Materiales Compuestos (2026). Vol. 09 - Comunicaciones MatComp25 (2025), (Núm. 3 - Caracterización Experimental), 8

  
  

  Abstract

  In recent years, the railway sector has been developing high-responsibility lighter components (such as the running gear frame), made from composites (mainly CFRP) to meet the new challenges of the sector. However, these components may be more sensitive to damage from impacts compared to conventional metallic ones. In high-speed train operations, elements located on the lower parts of the train are exposed to impacts with ballast stones that are lifted as the train passes (v > 200 km/h), leading to damage (sometimes internal and not visible) that can limit the use of these materials. During the development of CFRP components by Talgo, the damage caused by these types of low-velocity impacts has been analyzed and evaluated. These impacts can cause damage that requires more or less complex technologies (such as ultrasound) for evaluation, which are difficult to implement in maintenance operations. From the studies conducted on CFRP materials (compliant with the EN-45545 standard for fire, smoke, and toxicity), it has been found that acceptable approaches can be used, with easily implementable measures in routine inspections, to estimate the damage caused by ballast stone impacts. In these analyses, it was observed that: a) It is possible to estimate the impact energy level through the depth of the surface damage, b) it is possible to estimate the size of the internal damaged area based on the energy level, and c) it is possible to determine the residual strength based on the size of the internal damaged area. These results allow us to establish both acceptance requirements and criteria for the repair and rejection of materials

  Abstract
  In recent years, the railway sector has been developing high-responsibility lighter components (such as the running gear frame), made from composites (mainly CFRP) to meet [...]

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• Part 2: Recyclability and revalorization of railway components made of composite materials

  C. Santamaría, I. Doménech, A. Huegun, A. Martinez, A. Rekondo, E. Urruzola, M. Azcona, M. Cerdeira, E. Guerra

  Materiales Compuestos (2026). Vol. 09 - Comunicaciones MatComp25 (2025), (Núm. 5 - Reciclaje y Sostenibilidad - Aplicaciones), 31

  
  

  Abstract

  This PART 2 is the continuation of the project: “PART 1: recyclability and revalorisation of railway components made of composite materials”. Following the successful development of the recycling process for the Lightweight Running Gear Frame prototype and the formulation of a 3R epoxy resin suitable for use in the railway sector, the project advances with the following challenges: Revalorisation of Recycled Carbon Fibre (rCF) into new fabrics, by obtaining hybrid rCF and polyamide 6 (PA 6) yarns by adapting and optimising textile processes to incorporate recycled fibres into new intermediate products. Production of a new prepreg and its laminates. The new prepreg and its laminates will be produced using the dry fabric obtained in the previous objective and the 3R epoxy resin, developed in PART 1 of the project. The overall conclusions of the project are that: the recycling process is suitable for post-consumer components, the spinning and weaving methods are effective for dealing with this type of fibres and the 3R laminates manufactured are of high quality and ready to be evaluated in terms of their properties.

  Abstract
  This PART 2 is the continuation of the project: “PART 1: recyclability and revalorisation of railway components made of composite materials”. Following the successful [...]

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• Part 1: Recyclability and revalorisation of railway components made of composite materials

  C. Santamaría, I. Doménech, A. Huegun, A. Martinez, A. Rekondo, E. Urruzola, M. Azcona, M. Cerdeira, E. Guerra

  Materiales Compuestos (2026). Vol. 09 - Comunicaciones MatComp25 (2025), (Núm. 5 - Reciclaje y Sostenibilidad - Aplicaciones), 30

  
  

  Abstract

  In the railway sector, represented by TALGO, there is growing concern about the recyclability and reusability of composite parts at the end of their useful life. To address this concern and comply with Spanish and European directives and legislation, an innovation project (divided into "PART 1" and "PART 2") has been carried out in which AITEX, CIDETEC, iTREE, and TALGO have collaborated. The main results of the first part are as follows: Recycling process of the composite material of the first prototype of the Lightweight Running Gear Frame: This process focuses on recovering the carbon fiber contained in the material by combining several chemical-physical steps. Development of a 3R (recyclable) epoxy resin formulation: This resin meets the thermal, mechanical, and FST (Fire, Smoke, and Toxicity) requirements of the railway sector and is suitable for use with prepreg technology. The results indicate that the recycling process is suitable for producing post-consumer parts and that the formulated resin meets the required standards. The overall conclusions of the project will be revealed in PART 2 of this study.

  Abstract
  In the railway sector, represented by TALGO, there is growing concern about the recyclability and reusability of composite parts at the end of their useful life. To address [...]

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• Life cycle assessment of new Talgo lightweight prototypes

  . M.Cerdeira*, E. Guerra, F. García, J. Fernández, . V.Meroño

  Materiales Compuestos (2024). Vol. 08 - COMUNICACIONES MATCOMP21 (2022) Y MATCOMP23 (2023), (Núm. 4 - Sostenibilidad y Reciclaje), 14

  
  

  Abstract

  The European rail network is largely electrified, and rail emits far less CO2 than equivalent travel by road or air. It accounts for only 0.4 % greenhouse gas emissions from EU transport, while all EU transport accounts for 25% of the EU’s total emissions. Additionally, rail is the only transport that between 1990 and 2017 has consistently reduced its emissions and energy consumption, while increasingly using renewable energy sources. Following this green line, this article presents the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study of new generation trains, mainly based on lightweighted primary structures made of composite material (about 30-50% weight loss compared to conventional ones). The composite materials are novelty in the railway sector. Their introduction brings a clear advantage from the point of view of train capacity or energy/infrastructure canon savings. However, it needs to be justified from the LCA point of view. Two different stages are developed in this article. An LCA of the new prototypes (production, assembly, transport and use phase). It is completed with an LCA of conventional structures. The second phase presents a comparison between the environmental impact produce using CFRP materials or metallic materials at the end of a useful life (EoL) of a carbody. The results indicates that, at EoL, the composite material would be more economically and environmentally attractive than the current materials.

  Abstract
  The European rail network is largely electrified, and rail emits far less CO2 than equivalent travel by road or air. It accounts for only 0.4 % greenhouse gas emissions from [...]

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