Review of chemical recycling and reuse of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy resin composites

Carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy resin composites (CFRCs) have been used in the automotive and aerospace fields because of their excellent mechanical properties. The recycling of CFRCs has attracted attention worldwide in recent years. Chemical recycling is a promising method, which can selectively destroy specific resin bonds to achieve controllable degradation. Matrix epoxy resins are degraded into monomers or oligomers, and the high-value carbon fibers can be recycled. First, we summarize progress on chemical recovery methods, mainly oxidation, solvolysis and alcoholysis in super- and subcritical fluids, electrochemical recycling etc. Then, we briefly introduce the synthesis and depolymerization mechanism of recyclable thermosetting resins by the insertion of reversible chemical bonds into the resin to prepare recyclable resins, which is beneficial for the recycling and reuse of components in CFRCs. Finally, possible developments in the chemical recycling of CFRCs and the preparation of high-performance recyclable epoxy resins are proposed.