Multiply fully recyclable carbon fibre reinforced heat-resistant covalent thermosetting advanced composites

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 8; no. 1; p. 14657
• Main Authors: Yuan, Yanchao, Sun, Yanxiao, Yan, Shijing, Zhao, Jianqing, Liu, Shumei, Zhang, Mingqiu, Zheng, Xiaoxing, Jia, Lei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 02.03.2017; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 639/301/1023/1025; 639/638/224/685; Carbon; Carbon Fiber - chemistry; Heat resistance; Hot Temperature; Humanities and Social Sciences; Materials Testing; multidisciplinary; Polymerization; Raw materials; Recycling; Resins; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Shear Strength; Stress, Mechanical; Surface Properties; China
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14657

Nondestructive retrieval of expensive carbon fibres (CFs) from CF-reinforced thermosetting advanced composites widely applied in high-tech fields has remained inaccessible as the harsh conditions required to recycle high-performance resin matrices unavoidably damage the structure and properties of CFs. Degradable thermosetting resins with stable covalent structures offer a potential solution to this conflict. Here we design a new synthesis scheme and prepare a recyclable CF-reinforced poly(hexahydrotriazine) resin matrix advanced composite. The multiple recycling experiments and characterization data establish that this composite demonstrates performance comparable to those of its commercial counterparts, and more importantly, it realizes multiple intact recoveries of CFs and near-total recycling of the principal raw materials through gentle depolymerization in certain dilute acid solution. To our best knowledge, this study demonstrates for the first time a feasible and environment-friendly preparation-recycle-regeneration strategy for multiple CF-recycling from CF-reinforced advanced composites. The attractive strength and stability of resin matrix carbon fibre composites also make them difficult to recycle using gentle treatments which avoid degradation of structure and properties. Here authors demonstrate a composite that can be recycled for multiple cycles with little degradation.