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Management of waste from carbon fibre composites has become a significant societal issue as the application of composite grows across many industries. In this study, carbon fibres (CF) were successfully recovered from cured carbon fibre/epoxy (CF/EP) prepreg under microwave pyrolysis at 450, 550 and 650 °C followed by oxidation of any residual char. The recovered fibres were investigated for their tensile properties, surface morphologies and the elements/functional groups presented on the surface. The chemical compositions of gaseous and oil pyrolysis products were also analysed. The microwave pyrolysis effectively pyrolyzed the epoxy (EP) resin. Char residue remained on the fibre surface and the amount of char reduced as the pyrolysis temperature increased. Compared to virgin fibres, the recovered fibre suffered from a strength reduction by less than 20%, and this reduction could be mitigated by reducing the pyrolysis temperature. The surface of recovered fibre remained clean and smooth, while the profile of elements and functional groups at the surface were similar to those of virgin fibres. The main gaseous products were CO, H2, CO2 and CH4, whilst the liquid product stream included phenolic and aromatic compounds.
Siqi Hao; Lizhe He; Jiaqi Liu; Yuhao Liu; Chris Rudd; Xiaoling Liu. Recovery of Carbon Fibre from Waste Prepreg via Microwave Pyrolysis. Polymers 2021, 13, 1231 .
AMA StyleSiqi Hao, Lizhe He, Jiaqi Liu, Yuhao Liu, Chris Rudd, Xiaoling Liu. Recovery of Carbon Fibre from Waste Prepreg via Microwave Pyrolysis. Polymers. 2021; 13 (8):1231.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSiqi Hao; Lizhe He; Jiaqi Liu; Yuhao Liu; Chris Rudd; Xiaoling Liu. 2021. "Recovery of Carbon Fibre from Waste Prepreg via Microwave Pyrolysis." Polymers 13, no. 8: 1231.
Wind energy has been considered as one of the greenest renewable energy sources over the last two decades. However, attention is turning to reducing the possible environmental impacts from this sector. We argue that wind energy would not be effectively “green” if anthropogenic materials are not given attention in a responsible manner. Using the concept of the circular economy, this paper considers how anthropogenic materials in the form of carbon fibers can reenter the circular economy system at the highest possible quality. This paper first investigates the viability of a carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer extraction process using thermal pyrolysis to recalibrate the maximum carbon fiber value by examining the effect of (a) heating rate, (b) temperature, and (c) inert gas flow rate on char yield. With cleaner and higher quality recovered carbon fibers, this paper discusses the economic preconditions for the takeoff and growth of the industry and recommends the reuse of extracted carbon fibers to close the circular economy loop.
Siqi Hao; Adrian T.H. Kuah; Christopher D. Rudd; Kok Hoong Wong; Nai Yeen Gavin Lai; Jianan Mao; Xiaoling Liu. A circular economy approach to green energy: Wind turbine, waste, and material recovery. Science of The Total Environment 2019, 702, 135054 .
AMA StyleSiqi Hao, Adrian T.H. Kuah, Christopher D. Rudd, Kok Hoong Wong, Nai Yeen Gavin Lai, Jianan Mao, Xiaoling Liu. A circular economy approach to green energy: Wind turbine, waste, and material recovery. Science of The Total Environment. 2019; 702 ():135054.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSiqi Hao; Adrian T.H. Kuah; Christopher D. Rudd; Kok Hoong Wong; Nai Yeen Gavin Lai; Jianan Mao; Xiaoling Liu. 2019. "A circular economy approach to green energy: Wind turbine, waste, and material recovery." Science of The Total Environment 702, no. : 135054.