Patent ID: 8916618

Claim:
Method for recycling a reinforced organic-matrix composite material, said material comprising a first component comprising at least one organic matrix polymer and at least one solid second component being compatible with said first component and being structurally different from said first component, wherein said at least one organic polymer has thermosetting properties at room temperature, wherein said at least one solid second component is a reinforcing material, wherein said reinforcing material includes reinforcing fibers, and wherein said polymer comprises thermally reversible cross-links, said method comprising heating the organic-matrix composite material to a temperature 5-75 K above the T g of the organic matrix polymer at which at least part of the thermally reversible cross-links cleave and at which temperature the organic matrix polymer has a viscosity of at most 500 Pa·s, as measured by oscillatory measurements on an Anton Paar MCR 301 rheometer using parallel plate geometry; separating the at least part of the organic matrix polymer from said reinforcing material; and collecting said separated organic matrix polymer and reinforcing material, wherein said separated organic matrix polymer and reinforcing material are suitable for re-use in their original functions.