Electrochemical recovery of carbon fibres by acetic acid under mild conditions
Research output: Contribution to book/Conference proceedings/Anthology/Report › Conference contribution › Contributed › peer-review
Contributors
Abstract
Carbon fibre reinforcements will have a rising relevance in the near future. So far, they are already used as carbon fibre reinforced polymers (CFRP) in lightweight mobility such as bikes and airplanes as well as in wind turbines, and do also experience an increasing use in construction industry as concrete reinforcements. The promised environmental benefit of this technology can, however, only be achieved by addressing full life cycles and end-of-life scenarios. These are particularly important for reducing CO2 emissions and saving valuable re-sources. In contrast to energy intensive industrially established mechanical and thermal CFRP downcycling, we investigate full fibre recovery using electrochemical methodology. This low energy approach allows regaining CFs in their original quality by providing electrical power from green energy sources and non-toxic household chemicals such as acetic acid and common salt. The paper at hand, explains how electrochemical treatment can be applied to polymer impregnated carbon fibre roving. The effectiveness of the electrochemically driven impregnation removal was compared to conditions where no external voltage has been applied. The whole procedure as well as properties of the regained CFs under various electrical potential were characterized via chronoamperometry, cyclic voltammetry and scanning electron microscopy. The obtained results indicate that applying 1.5 V vs. Ag|AgCl allows reducing the acetic acid concentration from 75% to 50% while achieving the same effectiveness in polymer degradation. Following this procedure, full regeneration of CF is possible while using household chemicals at low concentrations.
Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Proceedings of the 2025 fib International Symposium - Concrete Structures |
| Editors | Matthieu Briffaut, Jean Michel Torrenti |
| Publisher | fib. The International Federation for Structural Concrete |
| Pages | 1329-1335 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| ISBN (print) | 9782940643295 |
| Publication status | Published - 2025 |
| Peer-reviewed | Yes |
Publication series
| Series | fib Symposium |
|---|---|
| Volume | 71 |
| ISSN | 2617-4820 |
Conference
| Title | fib Symposium 2025 |
|---|---|
| Subtitle | Concrete Structures: extend lifetime, limit impacts |
| Abbreviated title | fib 2025 |
| Conference number | 21 |
| Duration | 16 - 18 June 2025 |
| Website | |
| Degree of recognition | International event |
| Location | Palais des Congrès de Juan Les Pins |
| City | Antibes |
| Country | France |