Water-Driven Malleable, Weldable and Eco-Friendly Recyclable Carbon Fiber Reinforced Dynamic Composites†

Abstract

Traditional carbon fiber-reinforced polymers based on thermoset matrix have been extensively used in the fields of wind turbine blades, automotive sector, and aerospace, among many others. However, there is still a major challenge of recycling those polymers due to the high cost and adverse impacts on the environment. In this work, we apply a polyimine network as matrix, which possess considerable tensile and thermal properties, to prepare the carbon fiber reinforced polyimine materials with trifluoromethyl diphenoxybenzene units (CFRFP) using a prepreg-based compression molding method. The CFRFP can be reshaped or reprocessed by heat or with water rapidly, and exhibited multifunction, including welding, chemical recycling, etc. These unique findings gained from our study will facilitate the manufacturing capability and enrich the types of fiber-reinforced composites.