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An assessment of financial viability of recycled carbon fibre in automotive applications

Meng, Fanran; McKechnie, Jon; Pickering, Steve J.

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Authors

Fanran Meng

JON MCKECHNIE Jon.Mckechnie@nottingham.ac.uk
Professor of Engineering Sustainability



Abstract

Carbon fibre (CF) recycling has been demonstrated to achieve reductions in environmental impacts compared to virgin CF production, but there is limited understanding of the financial viability of recycling and reutilisation of recycled CF (rCF). In this work, cost analysis and identification of market opportunities for rCF are performed by evaluating the cost of recycling, composite manufacture, and applications in automotive industry. Cost impacts of using rCF as a substitute for conventional materials and competitor lightweight materials are assessed over the full life cycle, including in-use implications. Recovery of CF can be achieved at $5/kg and less across a wide range of process parameters, approximately 15% of the cost of producing virgin carbon fibre. The life cycle cost results show that rCF composites, especially aligned rCF composites, give substantial cost reductions relative to virgin CF composites and even steel and aluminium.

Citation

Meng, F., McKechnie, J., & Pickering, S. J. (2018). An assessment of financial viability of recycled carbon fibre in automotive applications. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 109, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesa.2018.03.011

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Mar 4, 2018
Online Publication Date Mar 6, 2018
Publication Date Jun 1, 2018
Deposit Date Mar 14, 2018
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing
Print ISSN 1359-835X
Electronic ISSN 1359-835X
Publisher Elsevier
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 109
DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesa.2018.03.011
Keywords carbon fibre recycling; life cycle cost analysis; fluidised bed; lightweighting
Public URL https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/961352
Publisher URL https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359835X18301052

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