Recyclable, Repairable, and Fire-Resistant High-Performance Carbon Fiber Biobased Epoxy

Due to the global environmental concerns caused by the ever-increasing environmental impact, landfill materials, and CO2 emission, there is a critical need in the elaboration of sustainable composite materials. Advanced material composites used in the production of high-performance products to solve some of the most difficult engineering challenges are having a key role in decarbonization by their light weight, higher performance, and increasing durability. In this work, sustainable carbon fiber reinforced composites (CFRCs) have been engineered with an environmentally friendly epoxy resin derived from natural and renewable compounds employing an industrial feasible manufacturing protocol. The thermosetting resin with a biobased organic carbon content (BOC) of similar to 77% was synthesized by combining a renewable based monomer, the triglycidyl ether of phloroglucinol (TGPh), with hexahydro-4-methylphthalic anhydride (HMPA). The developed CFRCs show high performance with high glass transitions Tg > 350 degrees C, a high storage modulus similar to 42 GPa, a high interlaminar shear strength similar to 63 MPa, and a compressive strength similar to 400 MPa. In addition, the outgassing tests show that both the resin and the CFRCs are compliant for space application. Moreover, the biobased CFRCs exhibit chemical recyclability, reprocessability, and excellent intrinsic flame resistance.

Automated summary

Due to concerns about global environmental impact and CO2 emission, sustainable composite materials with advanced performance are required. This study developed environmentally friendly carbon fiber reinforced composites (CFRCs) using a biobased epoxy resin derived from natural and renewable compounds. The CFRCs showed high performance with a glass transition temperature Tg> 350°C, a storage modulus of approximately 42 GPa, an interlaminar shear strength of approximately 63 MPa, and a compressive strength of approximately 400 MPa. Additionally, the CFRCs demonstrated chemical recyclability, reprocessability, and excellent intrinsic flame resistance.