![]() In its facility near Dudley, west Midlands, ELG Carbon Fibre has been recycling carbon fibre since 2009 by burning off the polymers. Once cured, most of these tough polymers will not melt and have to be burned off or chemically dissolved to reclaim the valuable fibres. Carbon fibre composites get their strength from long, precisely aligned carbon fibres, fixed within a glue-like polymer that is cured at high temperatures and pressures. The key problem is that carbon fibre cannot simply be melted down and reformed like aluminium. They could also save a lot of energy since the production of virgin material is the most energy-intensive part of the process. If they can divert carbon fibre from landfill, they could open the gates for use of recycled carbon fibre in cars, bikes and for dozens of other applications. Researchers and startups are racing to solve this conundrum. Where the material does make it into products, most of it will ultimately end up in landfill, the firm says.Ī report (pdf) in February from the environmental charity Green Alliance listed carbon fibre as one of several novel materials that could create waste problems in the future unless swift action is taken to make it ready for recycling and reuse. By the time they’ve been trimmed to size, almost a third of these carbon fibre sheets end up on factory floors, according to recycling company ELG Carbon Fibre. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |