Making Carbon-Fiber Reinforced Epoxy-Amine Thermoset Composites More Circular through Chemical Recycling by Catalyzed Solvolysis
Valeria De Fabritiis, Leonardo Matta, Gianmarco Griffini, Stefano Turri
TL;DR
This paper introduces a chemical recycling method for carbon-fiber reinforced epoxy composites, enabling reuse of materials without degradation.
Contribution
A novel catalyzed solvolysis process is developed for recycling thermoset composites at low temperature and mild pH.
Findings
Carbon fibers are fully recovered with original mechanical properties.
Recovered oligomers can be reused to fabricate new composites.
The process is validated on real end-of-life aerospace and sports equipment parts.
Abstract
The use of carbon-fiber reinforced thermoset polymers (CFRPs) is continuously growing in a wide range of manufacturing sectors, particularly when high performance, lightweight design, and corrosion resistance are required. However, their multimaterial cross-linked structure hinders their recyclability, resulting in the extensive generation of heterogeneous wastes. Nowadays, the correct management of end-of-life (EoL) thermosetting composites remains an open and unsolved issue. In this respect, this work presents a chemical recycling process of a model CFRP from an epoxy-amine network, operated at atmospheric pressure, relatively low temperature (≤200 °C), and mild pH (4–5), allowed by the modification of a Lewis acid catalyst. This process leads to complete liberation of the reinforcing carbon fibers without dimensional alteration, with mechanical characteristics fully comparable to the…
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Taxonomy
TopicsFiber-reinforced polymer composites · Epoxy Resin Curing Processes · Carbon dioxide utilization in catalysis