Toray's CFRP technology disrupts the industry: A recycled carbon fiber membrane retaining 95% of its strength, paving the way for a new era of circular economy.

Preface 

Carbon fiber-reinforced plastic CFRP ) As “ The Lightweight Champion ” , which has already penetrated the aerospace, wind power, and automotive sectors —— Boeing 787  Airframe CFRP Percentage share 50%， 1.5 MW The wind turbine blades weigh several tons. CFRP However, the three-dimensional crosslinked structure of thermosetting resins causes waste materials to CFRP Becomes “ The Recycling Challenge ” : Traditional processes either waste their performance as steelmaking reducing agents, or cause excessive fiber strength loss due to high-temperature pyrolysis. 30%。

2025 Year 10  Month 31  Today, Toray Industries, Inc. officially announced on its website CRFP (New technology for recycling carbon fiber-reinforced plastics: low-temperature resin decomposition with retention of fibers) 95% The aforementioned fiber strength has also led to the development of regenerated carbon fiber nonwovens, enabling CFRP “ High-value circulation ”  This article dissects the technological breakthroughs, material properties, and application scenarios, analyzing their value to the membrane industry. 

1. First, understand: CFRP Why recycling is an industry “ A Long-standing, Stubborn Problem ”？

(1) Limitations of Traditional Recycling Paths 

1. Energy Recovery: Wasted Value 

The mainstream approach is disposal. CFRP Used as a reducing agent in steelmaking blast furnaces, carbon fibers end up wasting their full mechanical performance—essentially rendering their value as mere combustion fuel from carbon elements. “ Gold burned like coal ”。

2. High-Temperature Pyrolysis: Performance Degradation 

A few enterprises use 450℃ The above high-temperature decomposition resins cause oxidation and structural damage to carbon fibers at elevated temperatures, leading to a loss of monofilament strength. 20%-40% , surface residual adhesive rate exceeds 10% , which can only be used for injection molding filling. 

3. Poor technical compatibility 

Aviation, wind power, automotive CFRP Different resin systems (such as epoxy and phenolic) make it difficult for current technologies to efficiently integrate multiple sources of waste, resulting in high recycling costs. 

(II) Industry Urgent Needs: The Three Key Demands for High-Value Recycling 

Global CFRP Annual报废 volume breaks 50  Ten thousand tons—market requirements must be met: 

• Performance Retention: Fiber strength loss below 10% , suitable for mid-to-high-end applications; 
• Multi-source adaptation: Handling waste from various industries and resin systems CFRP ；
• Environmentally friendly: Recycling reduces carbon emissions compared to manufacturing virgin carbon fiber. 

Toray   CFRP The technology precisely addresses these three key demands. 

II. Technical In-depth Analysis: Toray   CFRP The three core breakthroughs in recycling ( 2025 Year 10  Month 31  Officially announced today) 

Toray relies on 60 Years of technological expertise, crafted to create “ Low-temperature decomposition -  Fiber Purification -  Form Reconstruction ”  End-to-end solution: 

(1) Breakthrough 1 : Low-temperature decomposer tackles the challenge of resin dismantling 

Dedicated decomposers in 200–300°C (Industry Estimate) Disrupting the Cross-Linking Structure of Thermosetting Resins: 

• Mechanism of action: Chemically cleaves cross-link bonds rather than forcibly breaking them with high heat, thereby preventing thermal damage to the fibers. 
• Multi-source adaptation: Successfully handled aviation epoxy components, wind turbine phenolic blades, and automotive unsaturated polyester bumpers. 
• Residual Control: Resin Decomposition Rate Exceeds 99% , the residual adhesive rate on the fiber surface is lower than 1% , no additional polishing required. 

(II) Breakthrough 2 : Fibers retain high performance, nearly matching the quality of virgin materials. 

Detection data shows: 

• Single-filament tensile strength 3.8 GPa Above is the original carbon fiber. 95%+ (Traditional recycling only 60%-70% ); 
• Fiber diameter fluctuation < 2μm , surface roughness decreases 40% , post-processing fracture rate decreases 60%；
• Thermal conductivity 150W/(m²) ・ K) , Radio Frequency Shielding Performance 40dB+ , the core functionality remains unaffected. 

(III) Breakthrough 3 : Form innovation, from fiber to “ Functional Nonwoven Fabric ”

2025 Year 10  The prototype sample development was completed this month, transforming short-cut carbon fibers into sheet-like nonwoven fabric. 

• Craftsmanship Highlight: Utilizing water-dispersibility to fine-tune the structure, achieving a uniform texture (dispersity < 90%+ ) Adapts to uniform mechanical requirements, with a textured structure (such as paper-like texture) that also serves decorative purposes; 
• Performance enhancement: Retains thermal conductivity and shielding properties, while offering fabric-like flexibility and cutability, thus expanding application possibilities. 

III. Material Properties: Characteristics of Recycled Carbon Fiber Nonwoven Fabric “ Function +  Aesthetics ”  Double Advantage 

Can be summarized as “ Three Highs and One Low ”：

(1) High Mechanical Performance 

• Tensile Strength: Longitudinal 80MPa , Horizontal 50MPa (Traditional PP Non-woven fabric only 10-20MPa ); 
• Impact resistance: 1mm Thick samples absorb 25J Energy does not break; 
• Dimensional Stability: -40℃ To 80℃ Shrinkage rate < 0.5% 。

(II) High-Functionality Integration 

• RF shielding: 40dB Block 99.99% Electromagnetic radiation, suitable for electronic substrates; 
• Thermal Conductivity and Heat Dissipation: In-Plane Thermal Conductivity 120W/(m²) ・ K) (Ordinary silicone 3  Twice as much), which can be used as a battery heat sink; 
• Lightweight Design: Surface Density 80-150g/ ㎡ (Lightweight Glass Fiber Cloth with Same Strength) 30% ）。 

(III) High Aesthetic Value 

• Visual: The matte texture can be used directly as a decorative layer—no printing required. 
• Touch: Warm and smooth, overcoming the stiff feel of traditional carbon fiber fabric; 
• Customization: Adjust fiber dispersion to tailor texture patterns. 

(IV) Low Environmental Footprint 

As Japan's Ministry of the Environment “2024-2025 Decarbonization Project ”  Results: 

• Full-Process Carbon Emissions from Recycling 2.5 Tonnes CO₂ / Tonnes (native 5  Tonnes /  Ton); 
• 1 Tons of recycled nonwoven fabric reduced 6  Ton of oil consumption; 
• Decomposer Recovery Rate 90%+ , no wastewater pollution. 

IV. Scenario Implementation: Application Potential Across Four Key Areas 2025 Year 10  Monthly Verification) 

Toray has already provided prototype samples, 2025 Year 10  Month 30  Japan Mobility Show (until 11  Month 9  On the 1st, Mazda's concept car was the first to feature: 

(1) Automotive Sector 

Mazda concept car's center console and door panels feature this material: 

• Applications: Interior components (dashboard, seat back panels), exterior parts (rearview mirrors, roof trim), functional elements (battery cooling liners, wire harness shielding sleeves); 
• Value: Greater than ABS Light 40% , which is lower in cost than native carbon fiber fabric 30% , highlighting environmental attributes. 

(II) The Electronics Sector 

• 5G Equipment: Base station antenna shielding layer replaces metal mesh, lightweight 60%；
• New Energy Vehicles: Battery Thermal Management Interlayer Enhances Efficiency 15%；
• Consumer Electronics: Laptop Liners Combine Enhancement with Shielding. 

(III) The Construction Sector 

• Smart curtain wall: The inner thermal-conducting layer regulates temperature and reduces energy consumption; 
• Data center floor: Anti-static flooring with enhanced layer and shielding capability; 
• Interior decoration: Background walls and partitions—alternatives to stone. 

(IV) Daily Necessities Sector 

• Sports equipment: non-slip layer for yoga mats, grip covers for rackets; 
• Home goods: Lighting fixtures and lampshades, speaker grilles (controlling light transmission through adjustable fiber density). 

V. Industry Impact: Reshaping CFRP The Three Major Transformations of the Industrial Chain 

(1) Transformation 1 : A circular economy closed loop is formed 

• Upstream: Annual Recycling 50 Ten thousand tons CFRP Alternative 10  Tens of thousands of tons of virgin fiber reduce reliance on petroleum; 
• Downstream: Providing low-cost, eco-friendly materials to reduce the carbon footprint of products. 

(II) Transformation 2 : Reconstructing Material Value 

• Value: Price per ton 3-5 Ten thousand yuan (traditional recycled chopped fibers) 1  Ten thousand yuan /  Ton); 
• Market: 2027 The annual output of regenerated carbon fiber functional materials exceeds 20  Billions of dollars—Toray may account for Over 30% 。

(III) Transformation 3 : Driving the establishment of standards 

• Performance standards: 95% Strength Retention, 1% Residual adhesive rate may become a barrier to entry; 
• Testing specifications: “ Fiber Residue Adhesive Infrared Detection Method ”  Adopted by the Japan Composites Association. 

VI. Future Challenges: The Three Major Bottlenecks to Large-Scale Implementation 

(1) Cost Control 

• Degradation agent: Recovery rate from 90% Raise to 95%+ , reduce 15% Raw material costs; 
• Device: Existing pilot-year processing 500 After the ton- and 10,000-ton-scale facility is put into operation, energy consumption decreases. 30%。

(II) Raw Material Supply 

• Sorting: Aviation waste is processed to recover metals, and wind power waste is sorted for glass fibers—costs account for 20%；
• Supply Chain: A cross-industry waste recycling network needs to be established. 

(III) Downstream Authentication 

• Car: 1000 Hourly weather resistance, 5000  Next fatigue test, cycle 1-2 Year; 
• Electronics: Must comply with RoHS 、 REACH , shielding performance requires third-party testing. 

Conclusion 

Toray 2025 Year 10  Month 31  Japan Officially Announced CFRP Technology leverages chemical ingenuity to tackle the challenge of recycling thermosetting materials. “ Low-temperature decomposition +  Form Reconstruction ”  Providing a model for polymer recycling —— Not “ Recycled materials ” , but rather “ Recreating high-value materials ”。

From Mazda concept car interiors to futuristic electronic shielding films and architectural coatings, this technology turns waste CFRP Transforming resources. For professionals in the membrane industry, their innovation logic deserves attention: the materials revolution stems from a balance among performance, environmental sustainability, and value. 

With the construction of the 10,000-ton-scale facility and scenario verification, recycled carbon fiber materials may 3-5 Film-forming industry this year “ New Favorite ” . What other membrane products do you think this technology could be applied to? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!