List and Gradel: from idea to success

The Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology and Gradel have announced the end of their partnership, which enabled them to create a revolutionary, lightweight, high-performance and 100% recyclable composite capable of replacing an aluminium aircraft seat attachment. This success promises a new era for the industry, where sustainability is no longer a compromise, but a driver of innovation.

Source : delano.lu
Date de publication : 05/08/2025

At the heart of this success lies the fusion of two cutting-edge areas of expertise. On the one hand, the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (List) has contributed its expertise in new-generation polymer materials. Its bio-based vitrimer resins have unique dynamic chemical bonds. They give the material exceptional mechanical strength at low temperatures, while allowing hot remelting for repair or total recycling--a genuine circular economy solution.

On the other hand, Gradel has put its industrial knowhow to work in the service of innovation. By adapting its XFKin3D robotised additive manufacturing technology, the company has developed a process for winding continuous fibres (carbon, basalt, linen) along optimised trajectories. Called Gram, this system guarantees industrial production that is both repeatable and surgically precise.

A success that speaks for itself

The highlight of the project is the creation of a functional demonstrator: an aeronautical seat attachment that outperforms its aluminium counterpart. Not only does this part have equivalent thermo-mechanical performance, it is also up to 75% lighter. Above all, thanks to the dynamic chemistry of the vitrimer resin, it is fully recyclable.

As Pierre Verge, project leader at List, explains, “we wanted to demonstrate that it is possible to design a critical part, combining weight reduction and durability, using our innovative vitrimer resins.”

For Gradel CEO Claude Maack, the need is crystal clear. “The market is waiting for recyclable resins capable of withstanding as yet untouched dynamic loads: the List is providing a concrete response here.”

From lab to factory: the future is on the move

The initial project is a success, but it’s only the beginning. The two partners are now aiming to extend their process to other aeronautical components, as well as to sectors such as automotive and space.

The joint laboratory, integrated into the SCMM centre, will speed up the transition to industrial production.

The next crucial step will be to industrialise the production of vitrimer resin, which is currently produced in-house at the List. Once this stage has been completed, the material will be ready for large-scale deployment.

The collaboration between the List and Gradel is not at a conclusion, but on a launch pad. It is paving the way for a future in which recyclable composites are no longer a utopian dream, but an industrial reality, paving the way for a more sustainable future for European industry.

Thierry Labro

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