According to the “Composites Market Report 2019” by Carbon Composites e.V., the global demand for CFRP almost tripled from 51 kt in 2010 to 141.5 kt in 2019 - and the trend is still increasing. So it makes sense to devote oneself intensively to the question: What is the end of the life cycle of CFRP?

CFRP cannot be dumped and, due to the stability of the fiber, it cannot be incinerated in conventional waste incineration plants. Recycling may be difficult, but it is not impossible. However, this is always down-cycling. Even if the properties of the individual fibers come close to those of new goods, recycled CFRP is a different material. Technically resilient long fibers can therefore not be restored. What is possible, however, is to process these end products into, for example, nonwovens and granulates. These are also very interesting because of their stability and their low weight.

In order to be able to recycle CFRP waste and convert it into new, high-quality carbon fiber products, it must first be processed and shredded in a targeted manner. Erdwich supplies the optimal machine components for the shredding process. In our current shredding test, we shredded carbon mats with different sieve hole diameters. The corresponding test video is available as always on YouTube: Shredding - Test - Carbon