Recycled Carbon Fibre
Reclaimed carbon fibre recovered from manufacturing offcuts and end-of-life composites, offering a lower-cost, lower-carbon alternative to virgin fibre.
Overview
Recycled carbon fibre (rCF) is recovered from pre-consumer manufacturing scrap or post-consumer composite waste via pyrolysis or solvolysis. It retains most of the mechanical performance of virgin fibre at a fraction of the cost and embodied energy. Available as milled, chopped, or non-woven mat, it is increasingly used in automotive non-structural and semi-structural parts, brake pads, and Sheet Moulding Compound (SMC) formulations where sustainability targets and cost pressure coexist.
Automotive Applications
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Properties
Category
Type
Recycled Carbon Fibre
Available Forms
Key Properties
- High specific stiffness
- Reduced embodied carbon vs virgin fibre
- Cost-effective lightweighting
- Available as milled, chopped, or mat
Technical Specifications
Density
1.5–1.6 g/cm³ (composite form)
Sustainability
Sustainability Rating
Diverts composite waste from landfill; embodied energy is roughly 90% lower than virgin carbon fibre production.