Catalytic approaches to the recycling of carbon fibre reinforced composite materials

Carbon fibre-reinforced composites are the modern materials of choice for lightweight applications, ranging from aerospace to automotive. But a challenge with such materials is end of life recycling., the nature of the materials themselves making this particularly difficult by physical methods. This project aims to develop new catalytic methods to digest the thermoset polymer matrices of composites, allowing fibre to be recovered and the matrix digestion products to be reused in a circular economy context. Initial objectives will focus on model substrates where the performance of homogeneous catalysts in the crucial C-O and C-N bond breaking reactions can be assessed. We will them take the most promising systems for further investigation with real composite materials.