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Performance Restoration of Chemically Recycled Carbon Fibres Through Surface Modification with Sizing.
Dionisis Semitekolos1, Sofia Terzopoulou1, Silvia Zecchi2
1Research Lab of Advanced, Composite, Nano-Materials and Nanotechnology (R-NanoLab), School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 9 Heroon Polytechniou, GR-15773 Athens, Greece.
Recycling carbon fibre composites using plasma-enhanced solvolysis and applying sizing restores mechanical properties. This method enhances sustainability for automotive and aerospace industries by improving recycled carbon fibres (rCFs).
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
- Sustainable Manufacturing
Background:
- Growing demand for sustainability in automotive and aerospace industries necessitates effective recycling of Carbon Fibre-Reinforced Polymers (CFRPs).
- End-of-life CFRPs present a significant waste stream, driving research into advanced recycling techniques.
- Recycled carbon fibres (rCFs) often suffer property degradation, limiting their reusability in high-performance applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of chemically assisted solvolysis and plasma-enhanced solvolysis on recovered carbon fibres (CFs) from CFRPs.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of fibre sizing in enhancing the performance of recycled carbon fibres (rCFs).
- To develop an automated method for quantifying filament loss during the recycling process.
Main Methods:
- Two chemical recycling techniques: chemically assisted solvolysis and plasma-enhanced solvolysis.
- Surface morphology analysis using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).
- Structural integrity assessment via Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Raman spectroscopy.
- Mechanical testing of single fibres and yarns.
- X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) for surface chemistry analysis.
- Development of an automated optical microscopy method for filament loss quantification.
Main Results:
- Plasma-enhanced solvolysis showed higher efficiency in complete resin decomposition compared to chemically assisted solvolysis.
- Recycled carbon fibres (rCFs) from both methods exhibited a ~20% reduction in tensile strength; sizing mitigated this to ~10%.
- XPS confirmed the presence of oxygen-containing functional groups on rCF surfaces, improving fibre-matrix adhesion.
- Automated analysis quantified filament loss during recycling.
Conclusions:
- Plasma-enhanced solvolysis is a more effective chemical recycling method for CFRPs.
- Post-recycling fibre sizing significantly enhances the mechanical performance of rCFs, approaching virgin fibre properties.
- The developed methods provide valuable insights into optimizing CFRP recycling for sustainable high-performance material utilization.
