Sustainable Composite Manufacturing: Eco Responsible Materials, Recycling, and AI Enabled Processing

Project Summary:

This project aims to make the manufacturing of composite materials more environmentally friendly. Composites are strong and lightweight, but they are difficult to recycle, and current production methods can generate waste and use significant energy. During this visit, researchers from McGill University and the University of Bristol will work together to develop new materials and processes that are easier to recycle and more sustainable. They will test eco‑friendly polymers, study how recycled fibres can be reused in high‑quality components and apply artificial intelligence to predict better and control manufacturing steps. These improvements could reduce costs, cut waste, and lower the environmental impact of composite production. The project will also build a long‑term research partnership between the two institutions and prepare major joint funding proposals to support future advances in sustainable composite technologies.

Visitor Biography:

Dr. Pascal Hubert is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at McGill University and a leading expert in composite materials and advanced manufacturing for aerospace applications. He earned his Ph.D. in Metals and Materials Engineering from the University of British Columbia in 1996, following graduate and undergraduate studies at École Polytechnique de Montréal.

He is the Director of a large strategic cluster in Quebec, Canada, the Research Center for High Performance Polymer and Composite Systems (CREPEC). He is the Immediate Past President of the International Committee on Composite Materials and the Treasurer of the Canadian Association of Composite Structures and Materials.

Dr. Hubert’s research focuses on composite manufacturing processes, including out-of-autoclave processing, thermoplastic and nanocomposites, additive manufacturing, and sustainable composite materials. He has made significant contributions to process modelling, including the development of the widely used COMPRO model, and has worked closely with major industrial partners such as Boeing, Bombardier, Airbus, and NASA.

His work has been recognized through numerous awards, including the Canada Composites Fellow distinction, a NASA Group Achievement Award, and a Canada Research Chair in Advanced Composite Materials.

In addition to his research, Dr. Hubert is an active educator and mentor, having supervised dozens of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. He has also held leadership roles in major research networks and international organizations, contributing to the advancement of composite materials science worldwide.