Recycled Thermoplastic Composites

Carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastics have become an increasing part of airplane structure over the last several years, but more research needs to be completed to demonstrate how to recycle this material into product forms that can be re-purposed for secondary use applications. Boeing has evaluated recycled carbon fiber commingled with PEI thermoplastic. Boeing would like to explore the usage of another thermoplastic matrix system, PPS. This student team will work to learn how to process the material in a manner that results in increased surface quality. This student team set out to test samples mechanically and provide samples for flammability evaluation. The use of recycled material presents a sustainability opportunity and is relevant to the College of Engineering's goals of providing real world industry research and collaboration. This student team worked towards creating a subset of data that characterizes the material, understanding of processing parameters that affect surface quality, student engagement in the materials, and processing industry.

Related News