Thermoplastic carbon fibre-reinforced polymer recycling with electrodynamical fragmentation: From cradle to cradle

The end of life of carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) structures represents a major challenge to the aerospace industry, as new European regulations are demanding recycling solutions that can be complicated and expensive to apply. This study aims to address new practical ways to recycle CFRP materials. CFRP materials with a polyether ether ketone (PEEK) matrix were fragmented via electrodynamical fragmentation, which exhibits several benefits compared to mechanical shredding processes, especially for composites commonly found in the aerospace industry. The fragments are characterized and reused to produce new CFRP aerospace parts. Structural testing of recycled composite parts revealed a 17% decrease of the mechanical properties compared to the novel material. The combination of these manufacturing and recycling techniques closes the cradle to cradle loop of thermoplastic CFRP.