In-house recycling of carbon- and glass fibre-reinforced thermoplastic composite laminate waste into high-performance sheet materials

As the paradigm of production, use and consumption is currently shifting towards a circular economy, measures must be taken in the field of composite laminate recycling in order to prevent environmental pollution. In an effort to capitalise on the recyclability of thermoplastic composite laminates, a selection of in-house recycling and reuse routes are highlighted and compared in this research paper. Reprocessed compression moulded panels from shredded laminates demonstrated only 10–30% strength of monolithic virgin materials. Therefore, a largely unexplored recycling method was applied by co-moulding shredded material as a core layer between continuous fibre skins. These sandwich-like panels had true upcycling potential to achieve monolithic laminate properties in flexural and impact loading; in tensile loading around 50% performance was reached. Lastly, a promising reuse method was examined by reverse-thermoforming rejected parts. Wrinkle-free flat blanks with virgin-like properties could be produced for reuse purposes out of complexly shaped parts.