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Carbon Fibers Waste Recovery via Pyro-Gasification: Semi-Industrial Pilot Plant Testing and LCA

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  • Luca Ciacci

    (Department of Industrial Chemistry “Toso Montanari”, University of Bologna, Viale Risorgimento 4, 40136 Bologna, Italy
    Interdepartmental Centre of Industrial Research “Renewable Sources, Environment, Sea and Energy”, University of Bologna, Via Dario Campana 71, 47922 Rimini, Italy)

  • Giorgio Zattini

    (Department of Industrial Chemistry “Toso Montanari”, University of Bologna, Viale Risorgimento 4, 40136 Bologna, Italy)

  • Cristian Tosi

    (Department of Industrial Chemistry “Toso Montanari”, University of Bologna, Viale Risorgimento 4, 40136 Bologna, Italy
    CURTI S.p.A., Divisione Energia, Via Emilia Ponente 750, 48014 Castel Bolognese, Italy)

  • Beatrice Berti

    (Department of Industrial Chemistry “Toso Montanari”, University of Bologna, Viale Risorgimento 4, 40136 Bologna, Italy)

  • Fabrizio Passarini

    (Department of Industrial Chemistry “Toso Montanari”, University of Bologna, Viale Risorgimento 4, 40136 Bologna, Italy
    Interdepartmental Centre of Industrial Research “Renewable Sources, Environment, Sea and Energy”, University of Bologna, Via Dario Campana 71, 47922 Rimini, Italy)

  • Loris Giorgini

    (Department of Industrial Chemistry “Toso Montanari”, University of Bologna, Viale Risorgimento 4, 40136 Bologna, Italy
    Interdepartmental Centre of Industrial Research “Renewable Sources, Environment, Sea and Energy”, University of Bologna, Via Dario Campana 71, 47922 Rimini, Italy
    Interdepartmental Centre of Industrial Research “Mechanics and Advanced Materials”, University of Bologna, Viale Risorgimento 2, 40136 Bologna, Italy)

Abstract

Carbon-fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRPs) are increasingly used in a variety of applications demanding a unique combination of mechanical properties and lightweight characteristics such as automotive and aerospace, wind turbines, and sport and leisure equipment. This growing use, however, has not yet been accompanied by the setting of an adequate recycling industry, with landfilling still being the main management route for related waste and end-of-life products. Considering the fossil-based nature of carbon fibers, the development of recovery and recycling technologies is hence prioritized to address the environmental sustainability challenges in a bid to approach mitigating the climate emergency and achieving circularity in materials’ life cycles. To this aim, we scaled up and tested a novel semi-industrial pilot plant to pyrolysis and subsequent oxidation of uncured prepreg offcuts and cured waste of CFRPs manufacturing. The environmental performance of the process proposed has been evaluated by means of a life cycle assessment to estimate the associated carbon footprint and cumulative energy demand according to three scenarios. The scale-up of the process has been performed by investigating the influence of the main parameters to improve the quality of the recovered fibers and the setting of preferable operating conditions. The pyro-gasification process attested to a reduction of 40 kgCO 2 eq per kg of recycled CFs, compared to virgin CFs. If the pyro-gasification process was implemented in the current manufacturing of CFRPs, the estimated reduction of the carbon footprint, depending on the composite breakdown, would result in 12% and 15%. This reduction may theoretically increase up to 59–73% when cutting and trimming waste-optimized remanufacturing is combined with circular economy strategies based on the ideal recycling of CFRPs at end-of-life.

Suggested Citation

  • Luca Ciacci & Giorgio Zattini & Cristian Tosi & Beatrice Berti & Fabrizio Passarini & Loris Giorgini, 2022. "Carbon Fibers Waste Recovery via Pyro-Gasification: Semi-Industrial Pilot Plant Testing and LCA," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-16, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:7:p:3744-:d:777006
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lars Reimer & Alexander Kaluza & Felipe Cerdas & Jens Meschke & Thomas Vietor & Christoph Herrmann, 2020. "Design of Eco-Efficient Body Parts for Electric Vehicles Considering Life Cycle Environmental Information," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-28, July.
    2. Yeou-Fong Li & Jie-You Li & Gobinathan Kadagathur Ramanathan & Shu-Mei Chang & Ming-Yuan Shen & Ying-Kuan Tsai & Chih-Hong Huang, 2021. "An Experimental Study on Mechanical Behaviors of Carbon Fiber and Microwave-Assisted Pyrolysis Recycled Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Concrete," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-17, June.
    3. Linda Giresini & Claudia Casapulla & Pietro Croce, 2021. "Environmental and Economic Impact of Retrofitting Techniques to Prevent Out-of-Plane Failure Modes of Unreinforced Masonry Buildings," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-26, October.
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