Carbon-fibre composites can be broken down into reusable components

Carbon fibre-reinforced polymers are high-performance materials used in various items, including aircraft, wind-turbine blades and mountain bicycles. A process has been developed that uses acetic acid to break down carbon fibre-reinforced polymers into their major components, which can then be recovered and reused, potentially enabling the recycling of these materials at scale. The chemical building blocks from material used to make mountain bikes can be recovered using acetic acid.