With the growth of the use of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) in various fields, the recovery of carbon fibers from CFRP waste is becoming a significant research direction. In the present work, degrading epoxy resin and recycling carbon fibers from CFRP waste by microwave thermolysis and traditional thermolysis were studied. The carbon fibers were successfully recovered by thermolysis under an oxygen atmosphere in this study. The properties of the recovered carbon fibers were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy. The result shows that using microwave thermolysis to recover carbon fibers from CFRP waste is an attractive prospect. Compared to the traditional method, the reaction time was reduced by 56.67%, and the recovery ratio was increased by 15%. Microwave thermolysis is faster, more efficient, requires less energy, and obtains cleaner recovered carbon fibers than those recovered using traditional thermolysis.

The application of microwave technology in mineral metallurgy is a transformative approach to ore processing that offers new ideas about the current progressive depletion of resources and the environmental impact of mineral processing. This review delves into the principles, applications, and future directions of microwave treatment in mineral and ore processing. Microwave technology, characterized by its unique advantages such as rapid and uniform heating, selective heating, and energy efficiency, stands in contrast to traditional heating methods. It directly interacts with materials at the molecular level, enabling volumetric heating. The review encompasses a wide range of applications, including ore pre-treatment, drying, mineral processing, hydrometallurgy, smelting, and reduction. It highlights the role of microwave treatment in enhancing metal recovery, reducing energy consumption, and improving processing speeds. Future research directions are identified, focusing on enhanced equipment design, process optimization, integration with conventional methods, and technological innovations. The comprehensive overview assists researchers, engineers, and decision-makers in understanding the potential of microwave technology in mineral metallurgy, emphasizing its contribution to innovation and sustainability in the sector.

The novel porous Ag₂CO₃ nanorods were facilely synthesized via a one-pot aqueous solution reaction at room temperature. The crystalline phase and size distribution of the nanorods were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. In addition, the porous feature of nanorods was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nitrogen adsorption-desorption. The morphology and size of the Ag₂CO₃ crystal can be regulated via the choice of dispersing agents and adding approaches of reactants. Photocatalytic results show that the porous Ag₂CO₃ nanorods exhibit excellent photodegradation of rhodamine B (RhB) under visible-light irradiation, particularly the photoactivity performance and stability can be further improved in the presence of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃). It is indicated that NaHCO₃ can prevent effectively the photocorrosion and promote the probability of electron-hole separation.

Diamond thin films are grown on silicon substrates by only using methanol and argon mixtures in microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) reactor. It is worth mentioning that the novel strategy makes the synthesis reaction works smoothly without hydrogen atmosphere, and the substrates temperature is only 500 °C. The evidence of surface morphology and thickness under different time is obtained by characterizing the samples using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). X-ray diffractometer (XRD) spectrum reveals that the preferential orientation of (111) plane sample is obtained. The Raman spectra indicate that the dominant component of all the samples is a diamond. Moreover, the diamond phase content of the targeted films was quantitatively analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) method, and the surface roughness of diamond films was investigated by atomic force microscope (AFM). Meanwhile, the possible synthesis mechanism of the diamond films in methanol- and argon-mixed atmosphere was discussed.

Investigating the curing kinetics of a fiber prepreg system is beneficial to the controlling of prepreg laminate curing process. In the present work, a dicyandiamide (DICY)-cured carbon fiber/epoxy prepreg system was investigated by non-isothermal differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) at 2, 5, 10, and 20°C/min to attain the glass transition temperature for uncured prepreg and fully cured sample, which were estimated to be 7.6°C and 106.2°C, respectively. The activation energy (E_a) of the prepreg system was evaluated by Kissinger and Ozawa methods, and Friedman method was also employed to reveal the evolution of E_a as a function of curing degree. The kinetic parameters were determined by fitting the average E_a value obtained by Friedman method into Málek methodology, and the two parameters Šesták–Berggren model was found to best describe the curing kinetic of the prepreg system. The preexponential factor was calculated to be min⁻¹, with the overall reaction order at nearly 2.5. The prediction curves, based on Friedman method and autocatalytic model, were in good agreement with the experimental data.