Research on Recycling Methods or Reuse of Composite Materials

Dear Colleagues,

Composites are being increasingly utilized in technical and engineering applications due to their unique properties, including mechanical and corrosion resistance, a low weight and excellent fatigue properties, which are difficult to find in other types of materials. However, this significant increase in the application of these materials has also raised concerns regarding their disposal and recycling at the end of their useful life. Despite technological advances in the development of composites, the recycling of these materials remains a major challenge due to their heterogeneous properties. Today, the processes employed to recycle these materials include mechanical recycling, thermal recycling and chemical recycling; however, these processes are in the early stages of technological development and are expensive to perform. However, research in the field of composite recycling is lacking, particularly where current technologies and methods are unable to achieve sustainable, efficient and economical recycling processes.

Therefore, this Special Issue welcomes articles that address fibre–matrix separation, the recovery of thermoset resins, the fibre–matrix interface, glass fibre recycling, the downcycling of recovered fibres, the recycling of thermoplastic composites, fibre orientation and integrity, the lack of efficient resin recovery, complex and mixed composite structures, the recycling of large components, the high energy and cost of current processes, the low economic value of recovered materials, the environmental impact of recycling processes, and the lack of recyclable composite design.

This Special Issue thus also welcomes the submission of articles that present recent technological advances in the field of polymer composite recycling, focusing on the development of novel recycling technologies, manufacturing, characterization and practical applications. We invite researchers to submit full papers, reviews (short, comprehensive and comparative) and case studies.

Prof. Dr. Rita De Cássia Mendonça Sales
Prof. Dr. Heide Heloise Bernardi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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