Long Fiber Thermoplastic Composites from Recycled Carbon Fiber

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to develop long fiber thermoplastic (LFT) based on recycled carbon fiber. The approach is to produce LFTs using recycled chopped carbon fibers with two different polymer matrixes. One is with nylon for the cost-effective automotive industry. The other is with polyphenylene sulfide for high-performance aerospace applications. The broader/commercial impact of this project will be the potential to achieve considerable reductions of waste fiber that is sent to landfill. Conservatively, about 20% of carbon fiber produced will end up as waste during composite manufacturing and become landfill, which is a serious environmental concern. While recycling waste carbon fiber is highly desirable, few composite manufacturing processes are designed to work with chopped fibers, which is the primary form of the recycled carbon fibers. This technology will provide a manufacturing process to produce LFT composites using chopped carbon fibers. It is anticipated to achieve LFT properties comparable with commercial products made by virgin fibers.