Recovery of carbon fiber from carbon fiber reinforced polymer waste via microwave molten-carbonate pyrolysis

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In recent years, the increased use of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites has led to a significant rise in waste production. To address this issue, a recycling method using microwave molten salt pyrolysis-oxidation has been proposed to efficiently process CFRP and obtain regenerated carbon fibers (RCFs) under the combined effect of microwave and Na2CO3/K2CO3/Li2CO3 composite molten salt. The mechanism of microwave molten salt pyrolysis was examined in conjunction with the pyrolysis products (pyrolysis oil and gas), furthermore, the microwave molten salt pyrolysis process was optimized. The causes of the changes in the mechanical characteristics and wettability of carbon fibers (CFs) were additionally investigated and analyzed. The RCFs recovered from previous composite materials were processed into new composite materials and mechanically tested to assess their reusability. The study found that using microwave pyrolysis at 350°C for 10 min followed by oxidation at 450°C for 20 min resulted in recovered carbon fibers (RCFs) that retained 98.81 % of the tensile strength of the virgin carbon fibers (VCFs). Additionally, the RCFs showed a tensile modulus enhancement of 14.70 %, with the recovery ratio of carbon fibers as high as 98.44 %. Pyrolysis generates combustible gases like hydrogen (H2), carbon monoxide (CO), and alkanes, alongside products primarily composed of phenols and aromatic compounds. The recycling method can quickly recover high-performance carbon fibers and valuable pyrolysis by-products from CFRP waste, making them highly valuable for resource recycling and the sustainable development of carbon fiber materials.