Work

Towards Environmentally Friendly Removal of Acrylate-Based Impregnation from Commercial Carbon Fiber Roving

Year: 2026

Type: preprint

Abstract: Carbon fibers face a growing use in industry due to their exceptional mechanical and light-weight properties. Particularly they are used as carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) in lightweight mobility, wind turbines and as concrete reinforcements to create light-weight and durable structural components. To fully enable their environmentally friendly use, full life cycles and end-of-life scenarios have to be developed. Therefore, energyand cost-effective carbon fiber retrieval from polymer impregnated commercial samples needs to be investigated. In this study, we investigate a commercially available CFRP roving with an industrial acrylate-based impregnation, commonly used in construction as concrete reinforcements. The impact of several chemical solvents was assessed identifying acetic acid as a highly effective and environmentally friendly agent. To further reduce the concentration of acetic acid, electrochemical dissolution was tested where the carbon fiber was used as a working electrode in an electrochemical cell. Applying a voltage as low as 1.5 V vs. Ag|AgCl, the acetic acid concentration required to dissolve the polymer could be reduced by 33% compared to pure chemical treatment, while the tensile strength of the carbon fiber was maintained.

Source: ChemRxiv

DOI: 10.26434/chemrxiv.15009780/v1