Mechanical recycling of an end-of-life automotive composite component

This paper investigates the effect of mechanical recycling on an end-of-life automotive component based on PA66 reinforced with glass fibers. The material was pelletized and injection moulded three times and compared with the composite material currently used to produce the same component. The study is focused on the comparison between the microstructural and rheological behaviour of the component ant its final mechanical properties. The results reveal that mechanical recycling leads to the breaking of the fibers, decreasing their contribution to the mechanical strength. Despite the degradation suffered by the material, it preserves mechanical characteristics that are acceptable for other automotive applications. Therefore, mechanical recycling can be a solution to the problem of disposing of composite materials in landfills, as the products obtained still show satisfactory characteristics.