Degradation and Recycling of Amine‐Cured Epoxy Resin Composites Based on an Acetic Acid/H 2 O 2 System

ABSTRACT The recycling of carbon fiber‐reinforced epoxy composites remains challenging due to their stable three‐dimensional cross‐linked networks. This is particularly true for amine‐cured epoxies, where the short bond length, low polarity, and poor reactivity of C–N bonds make cleavage difficult. This study investigates an acetic acid/H 2 O 2 oxidative system for resin degradation and carbon fiber recovery from amine‐cured composites. Using LC‐MS, FTIR, SEM, and XPS, we analyzed the degradation kinetics, mechanism, and properties of reclaimed fibers. Results show that complete resin degradation was achieved within 25 min at 110°C under atmospheric pressure using a mixture of 25 mL acetic acid, 25 mL benzyl alcohol and 5 mL H 2 O 2 to treat 1.8 g composite with 55 wt% resin (acetic acid‐to‐H 2 O 2 mass ratio 5:1). The degradation mechanism involves peracetic acid generated in situ from acetic acid and H 2 O 2 , producing acetoxy radicals that selectively cleave C–N cross‐links. The reclaimed fibers retained over 97% of their tensile strength despite a doubled surface oxygen content due to H 2 O 2 oxidation. This method offers a new strategy for degrading amine‐cured epoxies and demonstrates potential for scalable CFRP recycling, contributing to sustainable composite management.