Recycled Fibers & Sizings Boost Thermoplastic Sustainability

Thursday, 17 July 2025


Recycled Carbon Fibers Improve End-of-Life of Reinforced Thermoplastic Parts

As industries such as automotive and electronics continue to prioritize lightweighting and sustainability, fiber-reinforced thermoplastics are increasingly replacing metals in high-performance applications. These materials offer significant advantages, including reduced weight, the ability to mold complex geometries, and recyclability—making them ideal for addressing end-of-life concerns for reinforced parts.

A key enabler of this shift is fiber sizing, a coating that is applied to the surface of reinforcement fibers. This critical coating ensures that fibers—especially recycled carbon fibers—can be effectively processed into thermoplastics while enhancing the mechanical properties of the final part. Sizing also makes it possible to reuse post-industrial carbon fiber sources, such as leftover bobbins, in new compounds.

The June 2025 issue of Compounding World explores these innovations in depth in the article “Turning to Recycled Fibres for Compounds.” The piece features insights from industry leaders, including Steve Bassetti, Michelman’s Director of Global Marketing, Fibers & Composites, who highlights the role of advanced sizing technologies in enabling sustainable, high-performance materials.