Simultaneous Recovery of Matrix and Fiber in Carbon Reinforced Composites through a Diels-Alder Solvolysis Process.

Efficient and comprehensive recycling of fiber-reinforced thermosets is particularly challenging, since the irreversible degradation of the matrix component is necessary in order to separate the fiber component in high purity. In this work, a new approach to fully recyclable thermoset composites is presented, based on the thermal reversibility of an epoxy-based polymer network, crosslinked through Diels-Alder (DA) chemistry. Carbon fiber composites, fabricated by compression molding, were efficiently recycled through a simple solvolysis procedure in common solvents, under mild conditions, with no catalysts.