SBIR Phase I: Use of Recycled Carbon Fibers in Sheet Molding Compounds (SMC)

该小型企业创新研究第1阶段项目将开发材料加工技术，以有效利用来自碳纤维增强聚合物（CFRP）热固性废物的回收碳纤维（RCF）作为结构片材模塑料（SMC）的纤维增强材料。 由于回收的碳纤维具有与SMC中目前使用的原始碳纤维不同的形态和性质，因此RCF通常不容易在用于配制具有高体积分数纤维负载的热固性SMC的商业加工设备中加工。 因此，有必要开发新的工艺和表面处理，以促进SMC中RCF的再利用。此外，还需要研究碳纤维填充的热固性SMC的整个生命周期和可回收性，以便碳纤维可以回收并重新用于新的SMC产品中，而不会损失性能。 在该项目的第二阶段，第一阶段开发的实验室规模工艺和处理方法将扩大到试生产规模。该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力涉及回收目前在垃圾填埋场处理的有价值的碳纤维废物，以创造可用于片材模塑料运输应用的回收原材料产品。 通过将废弃碳纤维从垃圾填埋场转移到运输行业的有用应用中，可以生产大量用于可持续工程的原材料，从而有利于国家对高性能绿色结构材料的需求。 轻质RCF填充SMC可以替代用于运输的金属或玻璃纤维填充复合材料/树脂，从而减轻重量并提高汽车应用中的燃油效率。此外，生产和再利用RCF的能源远远低于生产原生碳纤维的能源，因此开发RCF应用作为原生碳纤维的替代品将为经济提供净能源节约。 该研究项目将促进SMC配方设计师广泛使用再生碳纤维成型为结构部件，从而提高这一宝贵资源的利用率。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase 1 project will develop materials processing technologies to effectively utilize recycled carbon fiber (RCF) derived from carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) thermoset wastes as fiber reinforcement in structural sheet molding compounds (SMC). As recycled carbon fibers have different morphologies and properties than the virgin carbon fibers currently used in SMCs, RCF is usually not readily processible in commercial process equipment used to formulate thermoset SMCs with high volume fraction fiber loadings. Therefore, it is necessary to develop new processes and surface treatments that facilitate the reuse of RCF in SMCs. In addition, the full life cycle and recyclability of carbon-fiber-filled thermoset SMCs need to be investigated, so that the carbon fibers can be reclaimed and reused in new SMC products without a loss of performance. In Phase 2 of this project, the lab-scale process and treatment methods developed in Phase 1 will be scaled up to a pilot pre-production scale. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project involves recycling valuable carbon fiber wastes that are currently disposed in landfills to create a recycled raw material product that can be used for transportation applications in a sheet molding compound. By diverting waste carbon fibers from landfills toward useful applications in the transportation industry, substantial quantities of a raw material for sustainable engineering can be produced, benefiting the nation's need for high-performance, green structural materials. Lightweight RCF-filled SMCs can be substituted for metal or fiberglass-filled composites/resins used for transportation, thereby decreasing weight and improving fuel efficiency in automotive applications. In addition, the energy to produce and reuse RCF is much less than that of producing virgin carbon fibers, so the development of RCF applications as a substitute for virgin carbon fibers will provide a net energy savings to the economy. This research project will facilitate the widespread use of recycled carbon fibers by SMC formulators for molding into structural components, thereby increasing utilization of this valuable resource.