Global Fiberglass Solutions, in Collaboration with Washington State University, Creates Chemical Recycling Solution for Carbon Fiber Composites

Led by Jinwen Zhang, professor in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, researchers developed a recyclable material that is as strong as commonly used carbon-fiber composites and can also be broken down in very hot water within a pressure vessel

A WSU research team for the first time has developed a promising way to recycle the popular carbon fiber plastics that are used in everything from modern airplanes and sporting goods to the wind energy industry. In their project, Jinwen Zhang, a professor in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering & Composite Materials and Engineering Center, and his team developed new chemical recycling methods that used mild acids as catalysts in ethanol, mixed ethanol/water, or water alone at a relatively low temperature to break down the thermosets.