Designing of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites for a second-life in the aeronautic industry: strategies towards a more sustainable future

Over the last few years, the use of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites (CFRP) in the aeronautic sector has significantly increased, given these materials’ outstanding properties. Consequently, the accumulation of composite residues is becoming an environmental hurdle. Therefore, in a world where sustainability and circularity remain on the lead, the replacement of thermosets by thermoplastics as polymeric matrices emerges as a promising technique, given the recyclability of these materials. Following this perspective, in this work, carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite “residues” were incorporated into a poly(etheretherketone) (PEEK) matrix, as a strategy towards a more sustainable future, aiming at developing novel compounds for the aeronautic industry. The influence of two different fiber sizes (