TY - JOUR
T1 - A closed-loop recycling process for discontinuous carbon fibre polyamide 6 composites
AU - Tapper, Rhys J.
AU - Longana, Marco L.
AU - Hamerton, Ian
AU - Potter, Kevin D.
PY - 2019/12/15
Y1 - 2019/12/15
N2 - The effects of a closed-loop recycling methodology are evaluated for degradation using a discontinuous carbon fibre polyamide 6 (CFPA6) composite material. The process comprises two fundamental steps: reclamation and remanufacture. The material properties are analysed over two recycling loops, and CFPA6 specimens show a total decrease of 39.7% (±3.5) in tensile stiffness and 40.4% (±6.1) in tensile strength. The results of polymer characterisation and fibre analysis suggested that the stiffness reduction was likely due to fibre misalignments primarily caused by fibre agglomerations, as a result of incomplete fibre separation, and by fibre breakages from high compaction pressures. The ultimate tensile strain was statistically invariable as a function of recycling loop which indicated minimal variation in polymer structure as a function of recycling loop. To the authors’ best knowledge, the mechanical performance of the virgin CFPA6 is the highest observed for any aligned discontinuous carbon fibre thermoplastic composites in the literature. This is also true for recycled specimens, which are the highest observed for any recycled thermoplastic composite, and, for any recycled discontinuous carbon fibre composite with either thermosetting or thermoplastic matrices.
AB - The effects of a closed-loop recycling methodology are evaluated for degradation using a discontinuous carbon fibre polyamide 6 (CFPA6) composite material. The process comprises two fundamental steps: reclamation and remanufacture. The material properties are analysed over two recycling loops, and CFPA6 specimens show a total decrease of 39.7% (±3.5) in tensile stiffness and 40.4% (±6.1) in tensile strength. The results of polymer characterisation and fibre analysis suggested that the stiffness reduction was likely due to fibre misalignments primarily caused by fibre agglomerations, as a result of incomplete fibre separation, and by fibre breakages from high compaction pressures. The ultimate tensile strain was statistically invariable as a function of recycling loop which indicated minimal variation in polymer structure as a function of recycling loop. To the authors’ best knowledge, the mechanical performance of the virgin CFPA6 is the highest observed for any aligned discontinuous carbon fibre thermoplastic composites in the literature. This is also true for recycled specimens, which are the highest observed for any recycled thermoplastic composite, and, for any recycled discontinuous carbon fibre composite with either thermosetting or thermoplastic matrices.
KW - Compression moulding
KW - Discontinuous reinforcement
KW - Polymer-matrix composites (PMCs)
KW - Recycling
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85073727222&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.compositesb.2019.107418
DO - 10.1016/j.compositesb.2019.107418
M3 - Article (Academic Journal)
AN - SCOPUS:85073727222
SN - 1359-8368
VL - 179
JO - Composites Part B: Engineering
JF - Composites Part B: Engineering
M1 - 107418
ER -