Semitekolos Dionisis, Terzopoulou Sofia, Zecchi Silvia, Marinis Dimitrios, Farsari Ergina, Amanatides Eleftherios, Sajdak Marcin, Sobek Szymon, Smok Weronika, Tański Tomasz, Werle Sebastian, Tagliaferro Alberto, Charitidis Costas
Research 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.
Department of Applied Science and Technology, Polytechnic University of Turin, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Turin, Italy.
Polymers (Basel). 2024 Dec 26;17(1):33. doi: 10.3390/polym17010033.
The recycling of Carbon Fibre-Reinforced Polymers (CFRPs) is becoming increasingly crucial due to the growing demand for sustainability in high-performance industries such as automotive and aerospace. This study investigates the impact of two chemical recycling techniques, chemically assisted solvolysis and plasma-enhanced solvolysis, on the morphology and properties of carbon fibres (CFs) recovered from end-of-life automotive parts. In addition, the effects of fibre sizing are explored to enhance the performance of the recycled carbon fibres (rCFs). The surface morphology of the fibres was characterised using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and their structural integrity was assessed through Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Raman spectroscopy. An automatic analysis method based on optical microscopy images was also developed to quantify filament loss during the recycling process. Mechanical testing of single fibres and yarns showed that although rCFs from both recycling methods exhibited a 20% reduction in tensile strength compared to reference fibres, the application of sizing significantly mitigated these effects (10% reduction). X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) further confirmed the introduction of functional oxygen-containing groups on the fibre surface, which improved fibre-matrix adhesion. Overall, the results demonstrate that plasma-enhanced solvolysis was more effective at fully decomposing the resin, while the subsequent application of sizing enhanced the mechanical performance of rCFs, restoring their properties closer to those of virgin fibres.
由于汽车和航空航天等高性能行业对可持续性的需求不断增长，碳纤维增强聚合物（CFRP）的回收利用变得越来越重要。本研究调查了两种化学回收技术，即化学辅助溶剂分解和等离子体增强溶剂分解，对从报废汽车零部件中回收的碳纤维（CF）的形态和性能的影响。此外，还探讨了纤维上浆的效果，以提高回收碳纤维（rCF）的性能。使用扫描电子显微镜（SEM）对纤维的表面形态进行了表征，并通过热重分析（TGA）和拉曼光谱对其结构完整性进行了评估。还开发了一种基于光学显微镜图像的自动分析方法，以量化回收过程中的长丝损失。单纤维和纱线的力学测试表明，虽然两种回收方法得到的rCF与参考纤维相比拉伸强度均降低了约20%，但上浆处理显著减轻了这些影响（降低约10%）。X射线光电子能谱（XPS）进一步证实了纤维表面引入了含功能性氧的基团，这改善了纤维与基体的粘附性。总体而言，结果表明，等离子体增强溶剂分解在完全分解树脂方面更有效，而上浆处理增强了rCF的力学性能，使其性能更接近原始纤维。
