Nature.com Nov 30, 2024
Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers CFRPs are lightweight high-strength composite materials that are widely used in various industries. However recycling CFRPs remains a significant challenge because of the difficulty in separating carbon fibers CFs from the polymer matrix. This study compares two electrical pulse methods namely direct discharge DD and electrohydraulic fragmentation EHF for the energy-efficient and precise recovery of CFs from CFRPs. The DD method involves the direct application of high-voltage pulses to the CFRPs leveraging the Joule heat generation thermal stress generation and expansion force caused by plasma generation. In contrast EHF is based on intensive shockwave impulses generated by high-voltage discharge plasmas along the interfaces of different materials. We examined the physical properties of the recovered CFs namely their length tensile strength resin adhesion and structural degradation as well as the energy efficiency of the two methods in terms of CF separation. The results showed that DD is more effective for CF recovery considering the preservation of long fibers with high strength and the separation of individual fibers without residual resin on the surface.