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US 9,821,493 B2Granted
Microwave dipolar heating of energetic polymers for carbon fiber-matrix separation
AssigneeEmpire Technology Development LLC
InventorsKraig Anderson, Angele Sjong
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Abstract
The present technology provides a carbon fiber reinforced plastic that includes carbon fibers covalently bonded to an energetic polymer and a polymer matrix. Also described is a method for recycling carbon fibers from the carbon fiber reinforced plastic material using microwave energy to separate the carbon fibers from the polymer matrix.
Claims20
A process for recycling carbon fiber from a carbon-fiber reinforced plastic,
- the carbon-fiber reinforced plastic comprising:
- a polymeric matrix;
- at least one carbon fiber in the polymeric matrix, wherein the at least one carbon fiber comprises an exterior surface;
- and
- an energetic polymer interface located between the exterior surface of the at least one carbon fiber and the polymeric matrix;
- wherein the energetic polymer interface is covalently coupled to the exterior surface of the at least one carbon fiber;
- the process comprising:
- exposing the carbon-fiber reinforced plastic to electromagnetic radiation to induce localized dipolar heating;
- decomposing the energetic polymer interface;
- and
- separating the decomposed energetic polymer interface and the polymeric matrix from the at least one carbon fiber to obtain recycled carbon fiber, wherein the recycled carbon fiber comprises the exterior surface.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.