A process to recover carbon fibers from polymer-matrix composites in end-of-life vehicles

Abstract

Because of their high strength-to-weight ratios, carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer-matrix composite (PMC) materials are being evaluated for use in the automotive industry. The major barriers to their widespread use are their relatively high cost and the uncertainty about whether they can be recycled. A process to recover carbon fibers from obsolete PMC materials has been developed at Argonne National Laboratory. The process was tested using PMC samples made with different thermoset or thermoplastic substrates. For most mixtures of PMCs, the process can be energy self-sufficient using the polymer substrate as an energy source. An evaluation of the recovered samples found that the fibers appear to have retained good properties and characteristics and are suitable for short fiber applications. This paper describes the process and the characteristics and properties of the recovered fibers.