“Fiber recycling is not a compromise, but a competitive advantage”

Interview with Bruno Douchy, Sales director of Procotex

“Recycled carbon and aramid fibers give our customers an advantage in cost, weight and sustainability”

When the industry is under pressure, innovation must become tangible and measurable. In Plouay, Brittany, the Belgian family company Procotex has built a state-of-the-art facility dedicated exclusively to processing recycled technical fibers such as carbon and aramid. Sales director Bruno Douchy explains why precisely this niche is now so important to customers in automotive, thermoplastics, braking systems, and 3D printing, among others .

“Carbon waste is not waste – it is a new raw material.”

Q: Why are you now putting so much effort into recycled technical fibers, such as carbon and aramid?

Bruno Douchy:

“In many industrial processes there are residual streams of carbon or aramid fibers – these often still go towards incineration or landfill, which is a huge waste of energy and value. With our Carbiso™ product line, for example, we give this material a second life. Carbiso™ fibers are already being used in the production of composites, friction materials, reinforced thermoplastics and even in electrically conductive applications. In many cases, the performance is almost equal to virgin carbon, but at a significantly lower cost.”

“Plouay is our European center of gravity for high-performance recycling.”

Question: What makes the new Plouay site so crucial in your strategy?

Bruno Douchy:

“In Plouay, we have invested in high-precision cutting and processing lines specifically tailored to technical fibers. Think: random cutting, precision cutting, garneting, dry milling and oversizing. This enables us to process, for example, aramid or carbon residues into consistent fibers that can be used immediately in industrial applications. That custom production capacity, combined with our sustainable DNA, makes us unique in Europe.”

“Our customers want lighter, stronger, more durable. We deliver that – without a virgin price tag.”

Q: Which sectors work most with your technical recyclates?

Bruno Douchy:

“Our core markets are very clear:

• Automotive, where our fibers are used in lightweight composites, brake pads (friction materials), thermal insulation, and compound reinforcement.
• Thermoset and thermoplastic processing, where Carbiso fibers and aramid fibers provide mechanical strength, wear resistance or electrical conductivity.
• 3D printing, where we add carbon and aramid fibers to filaments to make products that are lighter and more dimensionally stable, with better impact resistance.
• Rubber processing and gaskets, for example, in reinforced rubber components with para-aramid fibers for extreme wear resistance.
• Compounding and masterbatch companies, which use our cut fibers to enrich their matrix with functional properties such as reinforcement, heat resistance or electrical conductivity.”

“With aramid we recycle top performance.”

Q: What makes your recycled aramid so interesting for technical applications?

Bruno Douchy:

“We process meta-aramid as well as para-aramid – materials known for their flame retardant properties, tensile strength, and chemical resistance. For example, our aramid fibers come from spool remnants, trimmings or defective stock lots and are transformed into fibers that are perfectly usable in friction materials, seals, thermal insulating nonwovens, coatings and composites. These are applications where specifications are very stringent – and yet we manage to deliver to quality standards that meet them.”

“We communicate in a focused way – that’s where our strength lies.”

Question: Procotex is relatively reticent in communications. How do you still reach the right customers?

Bruno Douchy:

“We deliberately target technical niche channels and international trade fairs, such as JEC World (composites), K-plast, Fakuma,Techtextil, and sector conferences around circular economy. This is where our customers come, where we show samples and discuss specifications. We will also communicate more specifically via e-letters, our website and LinkedIn, with a focus on education and applications, not on show. We must convince customers not with pretty pictures, but with what our fibers really do in their process.”

“Within five years, we want to be the partner for circular innovation.”

Question: what is your ambition for the coming years?

Bruno Douchy:

“We want to become the first point of contact for companies that want to innovate circularly in their materials strategy. Whether it is a car builder wanting to go lighter, a 3D printing company wanting to print stronger and lighter, or a manufacturer of friction materials saying goodbye to asbestos or copper – we can co-develop and supply. We don’t want to be a supplier, but a development partner.”