Swedish tire recycler Scandinavian Enviro systems has successfully recovered carbon fibres from post-consumer composite materials in a joint research project with the Swedish research institute RISE.
The recovered fibres, said Enviro in a 29 March statement, have the potential to be used commercially within the automotive industry, upon further validation.
“Tests show that recycled carbon fibres can be used in, for example, sheet moulding compound (SMC), a type of compression moulding of composite products that works well in areas such as the motor vehicle industry”, said Enviro CEO, Thomas Sörensson.
For the recovery of carbon fibres, the company said it used the same pyrolysis technology it is currently using to recover carbon black from tires.
The technology involves changing “the chemical composition and the physical phase” of the post-consumer materials through a heat-distribution technology.
The process, according to Enviro, preserves the fibre length, allowing them to be used in new composite products.
The technology works for combination materials, cut and micronised carbon fibres, and components with long fibres, Enviro added.
The pyrolysis-recycled carbon fibres are also claimed to consume an estimated 10% of the energy that is required for new production.
“The purpose of the research project is to evaluate how the recovered carbon fibres can be used in the automotive industry. The infrastructure sector and construction industry have already shown some interest as well," the Swedish company added.
The company will now carry out further tests with the aim to develop the materials for commercialisation.
Enviro develops technology to recover carbon fibre from composites
Enviro
The process preserves the fibre length, allowing them to be used in new composite products