Utilizing recycled prepreg carbon fiber and date pit powder for detoxification

Abstract

This work focuses on recycling carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) obtained from the aerospace industry. The recycled material will provide activated carbon to be used in the adsorption of toxins from the liver of liver failure patients. However, the activated carbon obtained can also be used in many different detoxification applications such as water purification. The recycling process is done by removing the epoxy in the CFRP and activating the carbon fiber. The activated carbon fiber (ACF) resulting from the treatments is to be compared to powdered activated carbon (PAC) from date pits. Both, ACF and PAC are to be used for adsorption of albumin bound toxins from the liver of patients with acute liver failure. The adsorption does not cure the liver; however, it plays a very vital role in giving patients the time they need to find a suitable donor. Although the main aim of this work is to recycle the CFRP waste from aircraft manufacturers, maximizing the adsorption capacity of the material is also of crucial importance. To achieve this increase, the pyrolysis and activation processes are carried out, however, adsorption can be further increased by coating the ACF with chitosan gel which contains several groups on its chain acting as interaction sites for the albumin bound toxins. To prove this, tests are carried out to further compare the ACF with the chitosan coated activated carbon fiber (CACF). Tests are carried out to to characterize the samples. These include FTIR and DSC tests. According to previous literature, it is expected that the ACF would have a better adsorption efficiency than the PAC due to the ACF having a higher number of pores and better porous structure than the PAC.