Possibility of closed loop material recycling for fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites

Abstract

It becomes significantly important to preserve ecological balance of the earth and protect the environment from getting worse. One of the urgent issues to be tackled will be to develop and establish recycling technology for polymeric composite materials. The expression of recycling technology in this case is that after the life of industrial products of fiber reinforced thermoplastic (FRTP) is completed, instead of being thrown away as wastes, they are reused as a raw material for new applications. An additional goal is that of saving valuable resources and not consuming further energy. This paper deals with a possibility of closed-loop recycling technologies for FRTP. The key factor is the fiber length which is expected to reduce in each recycling step. Materials tested here are continuous FRTPs, long FRTPs, short FRTPs, and powder reinforced plastics. The effect of fiber length on the reinforcing mechanism is first examined. The correlation between outdoor exposure test and accelerated weathering test is the second subject to covered. The third subject is to make clear the influence of crushing and heat history which are inevitable during each recycling stage. Throughout the above investigation, the concept of closed-loop recycling technologies has been established, although it is still in a preliminary stage.