| This research addresses an expanding waste disposal problem brought about by the increasing use of advanced composite materials, and the lack of technically and environmentally viable recycling methods for these materials.; A thermochemical treatment process was developed and optimized for the recycling of advanced composite materials. Counter-current gasification was employed for the treatment of carbon fiber reinforced-epoxy resin composite wastes. These materials were treated, allowing the reclamation of the material's valuable components. As expected in gasification, the organic portion of the waste was thermochemically converted to a combustible gas with small amounts of organic compounds that were identified by GC/MS. These compounds were expected based on data in the literature. The composites contain 70% fiber reinforcement, and gasification yielded approximately 70% recovered fibers, representing nearly complete recovery of fibers from the waste. Through SEM and mechanical testing, the recovered carbon fibers were found to be structurally and mechanically intact, and amenable to re-use in a variety of applications, some of which were identified and tested.; In addition, an application was developed for the carbon fiber component of the waste, as an activated carbon fiber adsorbent for the treatment of wastewaters. This novel class of adsorbent was found to have adsorption rates, for various organic molecules, up to a factor of ten times those of commercial granular activated carbon, and adsorption capacities similar to conventional activated carbons.; Overall, the research addresses an existing environmental waste problem, employing a thermochemical technique to recycle and reclaim the waste. Components of the reclaimed waste material are then employed, after further modification, to address other existing and potential environmental waste problems. |
