Advancing Sustainable Composites: Challenges and innovations

  • With the increased use of carbon fibre polymer matrix composites comes the important question of their management at the end of their life cycle. Given the high costs associated with carbon fibre production, recycling carbon fibres from composite waste is a desirable source of reinforcing fibres for new applications. However, current recycling methods result in recycled carbon fibres that are short with little to no orientation which can only be used in applications requiring intermediate strength at a fraction of the potential of the continuous, aligned virgin fibres. Thus, a method to recycle fibres with their original length and orientation intact is vital to truly realising a circular economy for carbon fibre polymer composites. Our research introduces a novel hierarchical composite aimed at preserving the length and orientation of carbon fibres on recycling. Virgin carbon fibres are encapsulated in an insoluble epoxy matrix to form tapes that serve as the primary units of theWith the increased use of carbon fibre polymer matrix composites comes the important question of their management at the end of their life cycle. Given the high costs associated with carbon fibre production, recycling carbon fibres from composite waste is a desirable source of reinforcing fibres for new applications. However, current recycling methods result in recycled carbon fibres that are short with little to no orientation which can only be used in applications requiring intermediate strength at a fraction of the potential of the continuous, aligned virgin fibres. Thus, a method to recycle fibres with their original length and orientation intact is vital to truly realising a circular economy for carbon fibre polymer composites. Our research introduces a novel hierarchical composite aimed at preserving the length and orientation of carbon fibres on recycling. Virgin carbon fibres are encapsulated in an insoluble epoxy matrix to form tapes that serve as the primary units of the hierarchical structure. The primary epoxy matrix protects the fibres from chemical and environmental elements while maintaining their permanent orientation. The primary tape units are subsequently embedded in a secondary recyclable matrix polymer to make larger composite structures. Elium, a thermoplastic that dissolves in acetone and has mechanical properties comparable to epoxy, was chosen as the secondary matrix of choice in this study. This approach aims to achieve a composite that is mechanical equivalent to thermoset composites while facilitating easy recycling with minimal impact on the fibres in the primary unit.zeige mehrzeige weniger

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Metadaten
Autor*innen:Carol RodricksORCiD
Koautor*innen:Gerhard KalinkaORCiD, Volker TrappeORCiD
Dokumenttyp:Vortrag
Veröffentlichungsform:Präsentation
Sprache:Englisch
Jahr der Erstveröffentlichung:2025
Organisationseinheit der BAM:5 Werkstofftechnik
5 Werkstofftechnik / 5.3 Polymere Verbundwerkstoffe
DDC-Klassifikation:Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften / Ingenieurwissenschaften / Angewandte Physik
Freie Schlagwörter:Carbon fibres; Elium; Mechanical testing; Polymer-matrix composites (PMCs), micromechanics; Recycling
Themenfelder/Aktivitätsfelder der BAM:Energie
Energie / Windenergie
Veranstaltung:Materials Week 2025
Veranstaltungsort:Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Beginndatum der Veranstaltung:02.04.25
Enddatum der Veranstaltung:04.04.25
Verfügbarkeit des Dokuments:Datei im Netzwerk der BAM verfügbar ("Closed Access")
Datum der Freischaltung:30.04.2025
Referierte Publikation:Nein
Eingeladener Vortrag (wissenschaftliche Konferenzen):Ja
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