A review of 3D printing of the recycled carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites: Processing, potential, and perspectives

The rapid increase in the application of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites in the fabrication and development of modern industrial products is attributed to their lightweight nature, excellent mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance, among other factors. Additive manufacturing of recycled carbon fiber (rCF), which has garnered significant attention in recent years owing to the massive potential waste obtained from carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites (CFRPC) and the manufacturing of rCF after the surface treatment produced the parts with excellent properties comparable to virgin carbon fiber (vCF). Additive manufacturing of rCF obtained after recycling has received much interest over the past few years because of the massive potential waste of the carbon fiber and the excellent properties after the surface treatment of the rCF. This research examines additive manufacturing of the rCF, surface treatment for enhancing the properties of the printed specimens, the potential waste of the carbon fiber obtained from the different sectors, and applications of reclaimed carbon fiber composites in manufacturing various products. Specifically, the mechanical characteristics of the printed specimens using rCF and the different percentages of the rCF reinforcement in the other polymer's matrix composites are discussed. This work demonstrates that an additive manufacturing-based recycling approach can recycle carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites (rCFRPC) waste and create high-performance engineering parts with complicated geometries that are both cost-effective and environmentally acceptable. This review also defines the significant challenges and outlook for future developments in manufacturing of rCFRPC.