# US 11,079,140 B2 · System and method for reclaiming carbon fibers using solar energy > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,079,140 B2 - Document ID: US11079140B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/346,687 - Filed: 2017-12-08 - Published: 2019-09-12 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2016-12-29 - Assignees: The Boeing Company - Applicants: The Boeing Company - Inventors: ShengWei Mei; Qiang Lu; XiaoDai Xue; XiaoTao Chen; LaiJun Chen; Yang Si - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11079140B2 ## CPC - F24S 20/30: Solar heat collectors for heating objects, e.g. solar cookers or solar furnaces - B29B 17/02: Separating plastics from other materials - C08J 11/00: Recovery or working-up of waste materials (recovery of plastics B29B17/00; polymerisation processes involving purification or recycling of waste polymers or their depolymerisation products C08B, C08C, C08F, C08G, C08H) - F24S 20/20: Solar heat collectors for receiving concentrated solar energy, e.g. receivers for solar power plants - F24S 23/77: with flat reflective plates - F24S 23/79: with spaced and opposed interacting reflective surfaces - F24S 30/45: with two rotation axes - B29B 17/04: Disintegrating plastics, {e.g. by milling}(B29B9/02, B29B11/02, B29B13/10, {B29B17/02} take precedence) - B29B 2017/0496: {Pyrolysing the materials} - B29K 2105/08: of continuous length, e.g. cords, rovings, mats, fabrics, strands or yarns - B29K 2707/04: Carbon - C08K 7/06: Elements - F24S 2020/23: {movable or adjustable} - F24S 2023/832: {curved} - Y02E 10/40: Solar thermal energy, e.g. solar towers - Y02E 10/47: Mountings or tracking - Y02W 30/62: Plastics recycling; Rubber recycling - F24S: SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS (for producing mechanical power from solar energy F03G6/00) - B29B: PREPARATION OR PRETREATMENT OF THE MATERIAL TO BE SHAPED; MAKING GRANULES OR PREFORMS; RECOVERY OF PLASTICS OR OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF WASTE MATERIAL CONTAINING PLASTICS - C08J: WORKING-UP; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F, C08G or C08H (working, e.g. shaping, of plastics B29) - B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS - C08K: Use of inorganic or non-macromolecular organic substances as compounding ingredients (paints, inks, varnishes, dyes, polishes, adhesives C09) - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT ## Abstract A system for reclaiming carbon fiber from carbon fiber containing material using solar energy includes a sunlight focusing system, a sample platform for placement of carbon fiber containing material to be treated by focused sunlight from the sunlight focusing system, the sample platform being provided with a gas absorption pipe, and a waste gas treatment system connected with the gas absorption pipe. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for reclaiming carbon fiber from carbon fiber containing material using solar energy, comprising: a sunlight focusing system; a sample platform for placement of carbon fiber containing material to be treated by focused sunlight from the sunlight focusing system, the sample platform being provided with a gas absorption pipe; a fine treatment furnace for receiving and heating carbon fiber containing material treated at the sample platform, the fine treatment furnace comprises: a heating cabinet, a heat sink, and a molten salt pipe; and a waste gas treatment system connected with the gas absorption pipe. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the sunlight focusing system comprises: a plurality of heliostats focusing the sunlight; and a plurality of planar reflectors reflecting the focused sunlight to the sample platform. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2 wherein the plurality of heliostats each comprising a plurality of concave reflecting mirrors. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the sample platform is driven by a servomotor moving the sample platform leftward, rightward, forward and backward. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the gas absorption pipe is fixed to a periphery of the sample platform. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the waste gas treatment system comprises: a dust cleaning apparatus connected with the gas absorption pipe; and a gas absorption treatment apparatus connected with the dust cleaning apparatus. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6 wherein the dust cleaning apparatus removes particulate dusts from gas absorbed into the gas absorption pipe by way of dust removal by filtration. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6 wherein the gas absorption treatment apparatus absorbs acidic substances in gas by utilizing an alkaline solution as an absorbent. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the heating cabinet comprises a cabinet liner and a housing, wherein an interlayer between the cabinet liner and the housing is filled with a molten salt, and wherein a heat preserved adiabatic apparatus is attached outside the housing. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9 wherein the heat sink comprises a tubular heat exchanger and a funnel-shaped photomask, wherein the tubular heat exchanger contains a molten salt therein, wherein the funnel-shaped photomask concentrates sunlight from the sunlight focusing system to the tubular heat exchanger to heat the molten salt within the tubular heat exchanger. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10 wherein the molten salt pipe communicates a lower end of the interlayer of the heating cabinet with an upper inlet of the tubular heat exchanger of the heat sink, and communicates an upper end of the interlayer of the heating cabinet with a lower outlet of the tubular heat exchanger of the heat sink. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10 wherein a working temperature of the molten salt is 400-580° C., and the molten salt is a binary mixed salt of KNO3 and NaNO3. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a digital control system achieving an automatic control for the reclaiming of carbon fibers from carbon fiber containing material using solar energy, the digital control system comprising a data acquisition device, a data transmission device, a control host and a monitoring software. ### Claim 14 A method for reclaiming carbon fibers from carbon fiber reinforced polymer material using solar energy, comprising: heating carbon fiber reinforced polymer material by irradiation from focused sunlight to remove a first portion of polymer from the carbon fiber reinforced polymer material; placing the carbon fiber reinforced polymer material having the first portion of polymer removed into a fine treatment furnace, said fine treatment furnace includes a heating cabinet, a heat sink, and a molten salt pipe; and heating the carbon fiber reinforced polymer material in the fine treatment furnace at a predetermined temperature to remove a second portion of polymer from the carbon fiber reinforced polymer material. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein the carbon fiber reinforced polymer material is heated at between 350-600° C. by the irradiation from focused sunlight. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 wherein the carbon fiber reinforced polymer material is heated by the irradiation from focused sunlight to remove 40-80% of polymer from the carbon fiber reinforced polymer material. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein the carbon fiber reinforced polymer material is heated in the fine treatment furnace to remove the remaining polymer from the carbon fiber reinforced polymer material. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein the carbon fiber reinforced polymer material is thermosetting resin-matrix composite material containing carbon fibers. ### Claim 19 A system for reclaiming carbon fiber from carbon fiber containing material using solar energy, comprising: a sunlight focusing system; a sample platform for placement of carbon fiber containing material to be treated by focused sunlight from the sunlight focusing system, the sample platform being provided with a gas absorption pipe; and a fine treatment furnace for removing resin from the carbon fiber containing material treated at the sample platform. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19 further comprising a waste gas treatment system connected with the gas absorption pipe.