Recycling automobile filers into composites: A circular economy approach

Project ID: AIRG/2024/MPE/06/02

Funding Source: AUST Internal Research Grant

Project Awarded: 23rd October 2024

Principal Investigator:

Fazlar Rahman

Associate Professor

MPE Department, AUST

 

Co-principal Investigator/s:

 

Mohammad Rejaul Haque

Associate Professor

MPE Department, AUST

 

Project Duration: 2 Years

Budget Approved: 1000000

Expected Research Outcomes:

1. Recycling of car waste cabin and engine air filters to the composites field, which will explore a novel concept of cycling automotive waste into resources.
2. Appropriate methods of cleaning automotive waste filters and fabrication of composites with waste filters will be developed with the maximum mechanical strength, which can be used to fabricate waste filters-reinforced polymer composites.
3. An appropriate fiber (or filter) volume/weight fraction will be explored for maximizing mechanical strength of composites.
4. This study will explore the suitable nanoparticle embedding to the composites, as well as orientations and numbers of layers of filter sheets for enhancing and maximizing the mechanical strength of the waste filter-reinforced polymer composites. Besides, it will explore the behavior of composites under thermal load by TMA and TGA, crystallization by XRD, and bonding by SEM.
5. This study will enrich automotive industries by reducing waste and reforming them into resources, with the ultimate benefit of reducing environmental pollution (including soil, water, and air contamination), creating jobs, enhancing social benefits, and developing a circular economy.