The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will use recycled carbon fibers to fabricate composite materials suitable for use in the transportation sector. As recycled carbon fibers have properties that differ from those of virgin carbon fibers, conventional composite processing techniques cannot be used for fabricating composites from these recycled fibers. Thus, the overall goal of this Phase I effort is to prove the technical feasibility of using one or more composite processing techniques for fabricating new composites using recycled carbon fibers.
Use of the proposed composite materials would help in reducing the weight of vehicles, thereby increasing fuel economy; and would divert carbon fiber composite wastes from landfills toward new automotive applications. The development of new recycled carbon fiber parts fabrication and and processing technologies will enable the resuse of the carbon fibers in areas where the use of this high performance raw material has been limited in the past by high production and raw material costs.
