Recycling of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Composites-Difficulties and Future Perspectives

Carbon fiber-reinforced composites present an exciting combination of properties and offer clear advantages that make them a perfect replacement for a spread of materials. Consequently, in recent years, their production has dramatically increased as well as the quantity of waste materials. As future legislations are likely to prevent the use of landfills and incineration to dispose of composite waste, alternative solutions such as recycling are considered as one of the urgent problems to be settled. This study presents the leading technologies for recycling carbon fiber-reinforced composites, focusing on chemical recycling using sub- and supercritical fluids. These new reaction media have been demonstrated to be more manageable and efficient in recovering clean fibers with good mechanical properties. The conventional technologies of carbon fibers recycling have also been reviewed and described with both advantages and drawbacks.

Automated summary

Carbon fiber-reinforced composites offer a promising alternative to various materials, but the increase in production has led to a rise in waste materials. As legislation may prohibit landfill and incineration, recycling has become an urgent issue to address. Chemical recycling using sub- and supercritical fluids is seen as an efficient method, while traditional recycling technologies also have their pros and cons.