carboNXT® Recycled Carbon Fiber

carboNXT® is a fully customizable, recycled, and pure carbon fiber that promises to revolutionize composite manufacturing processes by replacing high carbon footprint virgin materials. The recycled carbon fiber offers 100% identical performance and purity to virgin equivalent, adding value by reducing cost and promoting sustainable practices. carboNXT provides the option for a completely closed-loop operation that can help reduce carbon footprint and promote recycled manufacturing materials at the industrial level. The recycled carbon fiber has application in the manufacturing industry for automotives, aerospace, electronics, sports, and many other industries. 

Recycled with a Unique Pyrolysis Process 

The recycled carbon fiber is obtained by a unique pyrolysis process that recycles composite materials to extract carbon fiber that is as pure as virgin one. This ensures that the new fiber offers the same properties, such as high strength, stiffness, electrical conductivity, heat resistance, adhesion, antistatic properties, and lightweight. The thermal process uses oxygen with the recycled carbon that reduces carbon dioxide emissions. 

The pyrolysis process is part of the entire recycling process that starts with pre-sorting of the material. It involves shredding and sorting of carbon fibers in categories like dry carbon scraps, end-of-life, and prepreg parts. After pyrolysis, the recycled carbon is resized and sent for cutting. 

The cutting phase gives the carbon fibers a new shape, They may be milled, chopped, or cut to a desired fiber length for customized applications. Once the products are cut, they are finished and are available for the desired applications. 

High-End Material Properties

The recycled carbon fiber offers high-end properties as the recycled material goes through a rigorous recycling process. The finished products are available in the form of:

• Milled Carbon Fiber with an average fiber length of 80 to 500 micrometers. It’s best suited for filling applications that can enhance the electrical and mechanical properties of the component.

• Chopped Carbon Fibers that are chopped to a length of 3 to 100 mm. These fibers are best suited for bulk and sheet molding compounds.

• Carbon fiber ball are granulated fibers that have a 500 micrometer that can increase bulk density. 

• Carbon fiber tubes are dust free high bulk density carbon fibers that retain the mechanical properties of carbon compounds. 

• Carbon reinforced thermoplastics are carbon fibers for injection molding applications. They are lightweight and have low thermal expansion. 

• Textile Carbon Fleeces are available in non-woven and semi-finished products that can be sewn and needle-bonded.

• Carbon fiber papers are suitable for surface lamination and sandwich applications. They are available in surface weights from 10 to 100 g/sqm.

• Carbon Fiber Reinforced Duroplastic Molding Compounds is used for the interior design of automobiles and aircrafts. It’s strong, rigid and exhibits high-quality electrical properties. 

Based on the molding techniques, the fiber is fully customized for compatibility with injection molding, RTM, wet pressing, and CF-SMC. 

carboNXT® offers a fully closed loop process from scrap collection to the creation of high-purity fiber which will be later molded for the desired application. Eventually, the recycled material can reduce the production cost by up to 50%.