Global business intelligence and market research firm Stratview Research (Detroit, Mich., U.S.), specializing in mobility and composites consulting, has published a thought leadership report titled “Carbon Fiber Recycling: A Commercial Perspective.” 

The report addresses the growing need for achieving carbon fiber circularity, detailing the opportunities and challenges present in the evolving carbon fiber recycling industry. It also provides insights derived from internal research and contributions from experts across the carbon fiber recycling value chain. 

Stratview Research points out key findings: 

• In 2024, ~50 kilotons of carbon fiber waste is expected to be generated globally.
• The annual carbon waste generation is expected to surpass the 100 kilotons/year mark after 2029.
• The APAC region is currently the biggest generator of carbon fiber waste, mainly driven by China.
• Thermolysis is the most common recycling method among the current recycling companies.
• Consumer goods and the mobility sector are currently the biggest end markets for recycled carbon fiber products.

According to the report, the carbon fiber recycling market will be worth more than $400 million by 2030, with ~30 kilotons of recycled carbon fiber being consumed annually across different industries.

The report also highlights the disparity between the growth in the demand for carbon fiber versus the advancements in the state of recycling and identifies the gaps in capacity. According to the report, the global demand for carbon fiber has grown approximately 20 times over the past five decades, outpacing the development of commercial recycling initiatives, which have only become active in the last decade. The gap between annually produced carbon fiber waste and existing recycling capacity is said to be so wide that even the combined nameplate capacity of all carbon fiber recycling companies would leave ~50% of the globally produced carbon fiber waste untreated, claims the report.

The report classifies the inward flow of waste primarily from two streams, namely “factory” waste and “end-of-life (EOL)” waste and also studies waste production trends. According to the report, starting from 2029, 100-plus kilotons of carbon fiber waste will be generated globally every year, most of which will be factory waste. The ease of recycling and sourcing for both kinds of waste has also been discussed in the report.

A high-level regional analysis of the annual production capacities and consumption of carbon fiber is also presented, which aids in the identification of the highest waste-generating regions for both types of waste. Based on the annual production capacities and consumption, in conjunction with the presence of major players, the APAC region, mainly driven by China, has been identified as the most lucrative region for carbon fiber recycling companies.

The pros and cons of different recycling methods have been highlighted and thermal methods — being the middle ground between mechanical and chemical recycling methods in terms of setup/processing cost and amount of carbon fiber recovered — has been found to be the most common technique among the current recycling companies. Promising non-conventional recycling techniques from companies like Fairmat have also been mentioned.

Sporting goods, consumer electronics and semi-structural automotive parts have been identified as the most high-volume applications of recycled carbon fiber, primarily since none of these require high mechanical properties. While most CF recycling companies have been found to be offering just recycled ‘material’, there are companies like Fairmat and Thermolysis Asia (Taiwan R.O.C ) that are offering end products manufactured using their own recycled CF.

The complete report can be downloaded for free here.