Mechanical characteristics of reclaimed carbon fibre under superheated steam atmosphere and its feasibility for remanufacturing CFRP/CFRTP

Abstract

This study is performed to investigate the effect of using superheated steam (SHS) in pyrolysis reclamation on the mechanical properties of reclaimed carbon fibres. The mechanical characteristics of the reclaimed fibres are evaluated by analysing their tensile strength and fracture toughness. The feasibility of the reclaimed fibres is assessed by using them to remanufacture composites with epoxy and polypropylene matrices. The performance of the remanufactured composites is evaluated via mechanical testing. The test results show that using SHS in pyrolysis effectively prevents the degradation of the reclaimed carbon fibres. Variations in the tensile strength and fracture toughness of the reclaimed fibres are lower when pyrolysis is performed under a SHS atmosphere. Moreover, the mechanical characteristics of the remanufactured composites show that using SHS during pyrolysis reduces the degradation of the bending strength and Izod impact strength.