Circular Carbon Nanotube Production for Advanced Structural Fiber Applications
Source abstract
Abstract
Plastic waste accumulation remains a global challenge, with only a small fraction currently being recycled. Upcycling postconsumer plastics into value-added materials offers a sustainable solution for waste reduction and advanced manufacturing. In this study, we demonstrate a cost-effective method for synthesizing multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) from postconsumer plastics via catalytic chemical vapor deposition. The waste-derived MWCNTs were incorporated into polyacrylonitrile (PAN) through wet spinning to fabricate high-performance composite fibers. Compared to conventional PAN-based fibers that use commercially sourced CNTs, which often contain residual catalysts that weaken performance, the synthesized MWCNTs exhibit lower metal content and enhanced crystallinity (66%), reducing defects and improving composite integrity. The resulting PAN-MWCNT fibers achieved a Young's modulus of 13.4 GPa and tensile strength of 941 MPa. This work provides a dual benefit: mitigating plastic waste while producing high-value carbon nanomaterials, offering a sustainable route to manufacture lightweight, high-performance fibers applicable in aerospace, automotive, and energy sectors.
Source: openalex_inverted_index · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Fiber-reinforced polymer composites · Carbon Nanotubes in Composites · Natural Fiber Reinforced Composites
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Georgia, 302 E Campus Rd, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
Chemical Engineering Department
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology
Northeastern University
Kennedy College of Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 220 Pawtucket Street, Lowell, Massachusetts 01854, United States
Kostas Advanced Nanocharacterization Facility (KANCF)
Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Georgia (UGA), 302 E. Campus Rd., Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
Funding
Air Force Office of Scientific Research · Cannon
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