Recycling carbon fibre

A method of recycling a composite material comprising carbon fibers and a resin, wherein the method comprises:

• providing a furnace comprising a first heating portion and a second heating portion;
• loading the composite material on a transporter and transporting the composite material through the furnace;
• detecting a percentage of oxygen in an atmosphere in the first heating portion when the composite material has entered the first heating portion;
• removing at least a portion of the resin from the composite material in the first heating portion of the furnace, as the composite material travels through the first heating portion of the furnace on the transporter, by a thermochemical decomposition at a first temperature, with a resultant generation of fumes, wherein the fumes are removed from the first heating portion in a controlled manner such that the percentage of oxygen in the atmosphere in the first heating portion is controlled, with a rate of removal of the fumes being controlled so as to ensure that there is oxygen present in the first heating portion in a controlled amount, such that the thermochemical decomposition of the resin occurs in the presence of oxygen;
• and
• removing at least a portion of char from the carbon fibers obtained from the first heating portion by a thermochemical decomposition at a second temperature that is carried out in the second heating portion, wherein the second temperature is selected to control removal of char from the carbon fibers.

A method of recycling a composite material comprising carbon fibers and a resin, wherein the method comprises:

• providing an open furnace having an atmosphere comprising a percentage of oxygen;
• heating the composite material in the open furnace such that the resin undergoes thermochemical decomposition with a resultant generation of fumes;
• and
• controlling the percentage of oxygen in the atmosphere by controlling a rate of removal of the fumes generated by the thermochemical decomposition, wherein the rate of removal of the fumes is controlled so as to ensure that there is oxygen present in the atmosphere of the open furnace in a controlled amount, such that the thermochemical decomposition of the resin occurs in the presence of oxygen and is substantially complete but oxidation of the carbon fibers is reduced or prevented, wherein the thermochemical decomposition occurs in the presence of a flame front.