Process to recover fibers from polymer matrix composites

摘要

Carbon-fiber, reinforced-polymer-matrix composites (PMC) are widely used by theaerospace and aircraft industries because of their high strength-to-weight ratio. Because of this virtue, the automotive industry is considering using them for automotive applications. However, the degree to which PMC materials can be recycled is of concern. We are developing a thermal treatment process for recycling the fibers in PMC materials. Batch testing at the bench scale demonstrated that carbon fibers could be successful y recovered from PMC structures. Experiments conducted on PMC materials having urethane-based, epoxy-based, and urea/phenolic-based substrates showed that fibers that are completely free of residual organic materials could be recovered efficiently and economically. Evaluation of the recovered fibers demonstrated that they are suitable for short-fiber applications. A continuous infrared treatment reactor capable of processing up to 5 kg of PiMC material per hour has been designed and is expected to be ready for testing in the summer of this year. Economic analysis of the process suggests a simple payback of less than two years.