Challenges in developing nylon composites commingledwith discontinuous recycled carbon fibre

This paper investigates the challenges associated with the development of a composite material containing commingled nylon fibres and recycled carbon fibres. Carbon fibre recycled from end-of-life composites is generally discontinuous and randomly orientated. A conversion process is required to improve its physical form to make it more readily applicable for use in the composites industry. Various conversion processes have been investigated in the past, including milling, papermaking type processes, carding and spinning. In this study, a papermaking process is used to produce random non-woven aligned commingled mats. The mats were compression moulded and their mechanical properties were measured. The interfacial adhesion between the fibre and matrix was assessed by analysis of fracture surfaces under scanning electron microscopy. The impact of fibre alignment on composite mechanical performance will be reported.