Recycling Strategies for Challenging & Complex Polymer Composite Waste

Carbon Fiber (CF) is one of the world’s most versatile material ever developed. CF has high stiffness and tensile strength, is stronger than steel, lighter than aluminum and it can be molded into any shape. This allows it to be used in aerospace, airplane and automotive manufacturing. This MITACS grant will support the development of new Processes and Technologies needed to recycle CF, its co-mingled materials and other components from hard to process waste streams, with the goal of reducing environmental impact and resource requirements. Managing the full lifecycle of CF from manufacturing to disposal, will require alternative technology to avoid disposal to landfill. CF is an energy and material intensive product to produce, and as we begin to see its relative cost to manufacturing drop, society can expect to see more and more CF produced and used. As those products enter their end of useful life, recycling solutions developed will be commercialized by Everything Recycling Inc.

Faculty Supervisor:

Paul Charpentier;Cedric Briens

Student:

James Fazari

Partner:

Everything Recycling Inc

Discipline:

Engineering - chemical / biological

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

Western University