Carbon fiber recycling apparatus, system and method
AssigneeCarbon Fiber Recycling, LLC
InventorsDouglas D. Griffin, II, Joachim Roesler
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for obtaining carbon fiber from carbon fiber waste (e.g., pre-preg and CFP waste). The method and apparatus use an oxygen free pyrolytic process to volatilize the epoxy resin or other matrix in which the fibers are held to liberate the fibers therefrom. The reactor has a counterflow such that the carbon fibers are moved in one direction and the off gasses are moved in the opposite direction. A combination of steam at the reactor outlet and vacuum pressure at the reactor inlet create the counter flow.
Claims35
An apparatus for recovering carbon fiber from carbon fiber waste, the apparatus comprising:
- a mechanical feed adapted to carry carbon fiber waste into a reactor, the reactor comprising a rotating drum;
- the reactor comprising an inlet end and an outlet end;
- the inlet end having a first inlet adapted to receive the carbon fiber waste through a port that maintains an essentially oxygen-free environment in the reactor, the inlet end further comprising a gas outlet, the gas outlet maintaining an essentially oxygen-free environment in the reactor;
- the outlet end opposite the inlet end, the outlet end comprising an outlet for recovered carbon fiber conveyed from the reactor, the recovered carbon fiber outlet maintaining an essentially oxygen-free environment in the reactor, the outlet end further comprising a vapor inlet, the vapor inlet maintaining an essentially oxygen-free environment in the reactor;
- and
- the rotating drum set at incline toward the outlet end of the reactor, the incline causing the recovered carbon fiber to flow toward the outlet end of the reactor.
A pyrolytic method for recovering carbon fiber from carbon fiber waste comprising:
- providing carbon fiber waste to a reactor comprising a rotating drum, the carbon fiber waste introduced at a proximal end of the rotating drum;
- maintaining an oxygen-free environment in the rotating drum;
- causing the carbon fiber waste to flow from the proximal end of the rotating drum to a distal end of the rotating drum;
- introducing oxygen-free vapor at the distal end of the rotating drum;
- venting the vapor from the proximal end of the rotating drum;
- and
- maintaining a temperature in the rotating drum reactor of about 638° C. to about 1093° C.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.