Assessment of Carbon Fibre Composites for Product Development in Aerospace and Transportation Industries

The need to develop high-performing materials coupled with effective component recovery into service at the end-of-life (EOL) is essential to reduce waste generation and achieve a circular economy. Less-performing materials may promote indiscriminate disposal of components made from them at the end of their life, thereby increasing the cost of manufacturing. It can also make the environment less friendly. This study assesses the applicability of carbon fibre composites for product development in the aerospace and transportation sectors. A literature review on carbon fibre applications in the transportation and aerospace sectors was conducted. The study also presents a process design for processing carbon fibre with a potential for energy saving. The findings indicate that carbon fibre boasts of a high strength-to-weight ratio and thus suitable for transportation and aviation applications. However, its processing is energy-intensive and has no effective recycling options. This study also provides theoretical and empirical findings drawn from the literature on the feasibility of fibre composites for component development in the aerospace and transportation industries. The results and findings of this study can promote manufacturing sustainability and the concept of circular economy with improvement in the performance and useful life of components developed from carbon fibre. It can also assist the manufacturing industries in making effective decisions relating to component recovery.