Wait, You Can Recycle Carbon Fiber Composites?! Subtitle: A study in the chemical recycling of cured composites and manufacturing processes for reclaimed carbon fiber.
Research Mentor(s)
Nicole Larson
Description
High-performance carbon fiber-epoxy composites are commonly used in airplanes, boats, and sports equipment due to their high strength to weight ratio. However, there is no large-scale recycling system in place to reuse the energy and cost-intensive fibers once they reach their end of life. Our research demonstrates how the current linear lifecycle can be transformed into a circular lifecycle. The first half of this research focused on chemically recycling cured carbon fiber and epoxy composites using a green solvent-catalyst-based system. Since summer 2021, our chemical recycling teams have successfully depolymerized the crosslinked epoxy network and reclaimed over two pounds of carbon fiber. The second half of this research is to identify processes and applications for reusing recycled fibers generated by the recycling teams. Currently, we are manufacturing compression molded composites with these recycled fibers using a biobased epoxy and we will be comparing these to virgin fibers to help determine potential applications for this recyclate.
Document Type
Event
Start Date
May 2022
End Date
May 2022
Location
Carver Gym (Bellingham, Wash.)
Department
CSE -Engineering and Design
Genre/Form
student projects; posters
Type
Image
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Wait, You Can Recycle Carbon Fiber Composites?! Subtitle: A study in the chemical recycling of cured composites and manufacturing processes for reclaimed carbon fiber.
Carver Gym (Bellingham, Wash.)
High-performance carbon fiber-epoxy composites are commonly used in airplanes, boats, and sports equipment due to their high strength to weight ratio. However, there is no large-scale recycling system in place to reuse the energy and cost-intensive fibers once they reach their end of life. Our research demonstrates how the current linear lifecycle can be transformed into a circular lifecycle. The first half of this research focused on chemically recycling cured carbon fiber and epoxy composites using a green solvent-catalyst-based system. Since summer 2021, our chemical recycling teams have successfully depolymerized the crosslinked epoxy network and reclaimed over two pounds of carbon fiber. The second half of this research is to identify processes and applications for reusing recycled fibers generated by the recycling teams. Currently, we are manufacturing compression molded composites with these recycled fibers using a biobased epoxy and we will be comparing these to virgin fibers to help determine potential applications for this recyclate.