Fanran Meng
University of Nottingham
Fanran Meng is a PhD researcher holding the Dean of Engineering Scholarship for International Excellence since 2013 and Research Associate at the University of Nottingham since 2017. His current research focuses on life cycle environmental sustainability of waste valorisation opportunities, with specific focus on carbon fibre composite materials and municipal solid waste:1.Environment and Cost analysis of Carbon Fibre Composites Recycling 2.Production of butanol and hydrogen by fermentation techniques using steam treated municipal solid wasteHis expertise is in the application of systems analysis approaches (technical, environmental, and economic analysis with optimization algorithm) to materials. This research involves the integration of a number of analytical methodologies and the impact assessment of resources, energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and other impact factors.
The generation of carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP)-based wastes is rapidly increasing, corresponding with the increasing demand of CFRP in the transport and energy sectors. Up to 40% of CFRP is converted to waste during manufacture, totalling approximately 18,000 tonnes/year in 2015. Recovery of carbon fibre (CF) can be achieved via a fluidised bed process, which oxidises the epoxy matrix, allowing CF recovery with minimal degradation of mechanical properties. The subsequent manufacture of lightweight components from recycled CF (rCF) can potentially address cost and embodied energy barriers that currently restrict the uptake of CFRP in automotive applications.
In this study, we develop life cycle assessment and life cycle cost models to quantify the environmental primary energy demand (PED) and global warming potential (GWP) and cost impacts of recovering carbon fibre and producing rCF-based materials as substitutes for conventional and proposed lightweight materials (e.g., steel, aluminium, virgin carbon fibre) in automotive applications. Inventory and cost models are developed from process models of carbon fibre recycling and component manufacturing, and impacts on fuel consumption during vehicle lifetime. Mechanical properties of the resulting recycled CFRP (rCFRP) are experimentally measured and accounted in the life cycle models to ensure materials are compared on equivalent functional bases. A vehicle hood component, originally made of mild steel with a mass of 15.2 kg, is selected as a case study based on equivalent functional stiffness. Parameters for the rCF materials, including fibre volume fraction and fibre alignment, are investigated to identify beneficial uses of rCF in the automotive sector.
The rCF hood can substantially reduce life cycle PED and GWP relative to steel, by approximately 55% to 63% for randomly-aligned low and high fibre volume fractions (20% to 40%). Achieving higher fibre volume fractions through alignment offers potential to further reduce PED and GWP; we use the LCA results to set targets for the development of fibre alignment technologies that are currently under development. In contrast, an equivalent aluminium component would only marginally reduce PED relative to steel (47%), whereas production from virgin carbon fibre would result in a life cycle PED increase of ~5% due to the high embodied energy associated with carbon fibre manufacture.
The financial analysis further demonstrates the potential viability of rCF materials. We calculate the life cycle cost of the randomly aligned rCF component, including mass-induced fuel consumption, to vary from $223 (20% fibre fraction) to a low of $212 (40% fibre fraction). These costs are already competitive with the conventional steel component ($266), prior to monetising the environmental benefits of rCF materials (e.g., social cost of carbon). Fibre alignment could again potentially improve financial performance provided technology development targets are met.
This study demonstrates the potential environmental and financial viability of rCF materials. These results support the emerging commercialisation of CF recycling technologies, identify significant potential market opportunities in the automotive sector, and set critical development targets for rCF processing to improve cost and environmental performance
• Life cycle sustainability assessment , • Management and technology for sustainable and resilient energy, water, food, materials, , • Circular economy
