CARBON FIBRES GO FULL CIRCLE

摘要

Carbon-fibre reinforced plastics have a reputation for being difficult to recycle but BMW thinks otherwise. The firm is using the materials to make electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles such as the i3 and i8 much lighter. Recycling improves lifecycle emissions, and reuse helps to mitigate the high cost of the raw materials. BMW said: "Resinated carbon fibre is first separated from the mixture with other plastics and then processed in a pyrolysis facility. The heat from the resin breakdown process is used to separate the undamaged carbon fibres. These fibres can then be used to manufacture components." The firm claims that this is the first such recycling process of its type in the world. Recycled carbon fibre is used to make the rear-seat pan of the i3 city car and accounts for 10% of the vehicle's total carbon-fibre content.