Sustainable composites based on carbon fiber recycled for the automotive sector

Abstract

In the automotive sector, lightening weight is a key issue in the designing of vehicle components, to reach the CO2 emission limits that have been defined in Europe for the year 2020. That is why the strategy in the sector is to use fiber-reinforced composites, that allow to lighten the metal structures between 15 and 40% depending on the type of fiber. On the other hand, the recyclability is another important point, since the directives on the end of the useful life of the vehicles, stipulates that will be obligatory the recycling of 85% of the vehicle, not contemplating the "recovery of energy" of polymers as a means for its recycling. Composites, although they are lightweight and have a high resistance, have the disadvantage of their recyclability, and the reality is that environmental legislation is becoming increasingly restrictive, and it is urgent to find solutions to landfill. This is one of the reasons why the pyrolysis of carbon composites for the recovery of carbon fiber, and its reuse in the form of non-woven MAT, and the thermostable resins that can be recycled and reprocessed, can lead to a new generation of sustainable and recyclable composites in the automotive sector.