<scp>Water‐Driven</scp> Malleable, Weldable and <scp>Eco‐Friendly</scp> Recyclable Carbon Fiber Reinforced Dynamic Composites^†

TLDR

Traditional thermoset carbon‑fiber composites are widely used in wind turbines, automotive, and aerospace, yet recycling them is costly and environmentally damaging. This work seeks to develop a polyimine‑based matrix for carbon‑fiber composites that can be processed via prepreg compression molding. The authors fabricated CFRFP composites by combining a polyimine network with trifluoromethyl diphenoxybenzene units and applying prepreg compression molding. CFRFP composites can be rapidly reshaped or reprocessed by heat or water, enabling welding and chemical recycling, which expands manufacturing options for fiber‑reinforced composites.

Abstract

Comprehensive Summary Traditional carbon fiber‐reinforced polymers based on thermoset matrix have been extensively used in the fields of wind turbine blades, automotive sector, and aerospace, among many others. However, there is still a major challenge of recycling those polymers due to the high cost and adverse impacts on the environment. In this work, we apply a polyimine network as matrix, which possess considerable tensile and thermal properties, to prepare the carbon fiber reinforced polyimine materials with trifluoromethyl diphenoxybenzene units (CFRFP) using a prepreg‐based compression molding method. The CFRFP can be reshaped or reprocessed by heat or with water rapidly, and exhibited multifunction, including welding, chemical recycling, etc . These unique findings gained from our study will facilitate the manufacturing capability and enrich the types of fiber‐reinforced composites.