Recent progress in recycling carbon fibre reinforced composites and dry carbon fibre wastes

Abstract

Carbon fibre reinforced composites (CFRC) continue to play a key role in the growth and development of many weight sensitive industries. However, their proliferation has raised increasing concerns regarding the required practices and strategies to deal with these expensive engineered structures at the end of their life cycle. This has brought into focus the need to develop more sustainable and efficient recycling solutions for these products. Similarly, the necessity of managing dry carbon fibre scraps generated during the manufacturing process of CFRC has attracted more attention in recent years. This review article provides an overview on recent advances in recycling CFRC as well as processing dry carbon fibre scraps. Influential parameters, advantages, drawbacks, and possible environmental impacts of the main technologies of processing CFRC waste including mechanical, thermal (pyrolysis and fluidised bed), and chemical (solvolysis and low temperature chemical processing) will be evaluated. Their potential effects on mechanical characteristics and surface chemistry of fibres are assessed. Moreover, recent processing methods of dry and semi-finished carbon fibre scrap are also reviewed. Specific attention is paid to the recent developments in producing hybrid yarns and nonwovens made of waste carbon fibre. The methodologies developed in this area, their processing conditions, as well as other important findings are discussed. This review paper provides a valuable platform for researchers and decision makers working in the field of carbon fibre by providing a clearer picture on the options available to recycle CFRC, and the methods of developing value-added products using waste carbon fibre.