A team of scientists from three Chinese universities has developed a high-performance, recyclable carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy composite (CFRP) that maintains mechanical strength and durability. The CFRP is designed for use in industries such as aerospace, automotive, and construction. The team created a high-strength, recyclable epoxy resin (HREP) with a unique chemical structure that allows it to be reprocessed and resistant to solvents. Additionally, they modified carbon fibers using hyperbranched ionic liquids (HBP-AMIM⁺PF₆⁻), which significantly improved interfacial bonding with the epoxy resin, leading to improved mechanical properties. The optimized CFRP, HREP20/CF-HBPPF₆, exhibited high tensile strength, interfacial shear strength, and interlaminar shear strength. Moreover, the researchers demonstrated that the CFRPs could be fully degraded in DMSO at 140°C within 24 hours, and the recovered carbon fibers retained their original mechanical properties. According to the researchers, this breakthrough provides a solution to the recyclability challenge of CFRPs and improves their mechanical performance.
Scientists at the university develop a revolutionary, recyclable CFRP material by incorporating a covalently adaptable epoxy resin.
