Non-conventional recycling process of hemp/carbon hybrid laminates via thermo-mechanical disassembly

The increasing use of fibre-reinforced composites raises critical issues related to sustainability and end-of-life management, particularly for thermoset-based systems. In this work, a non-conventional thermo-mechanical recycling strategy is proposed for hemp/carbon hybrid laminates, aiming at the recovery and reuse of intact reinforcement plies without destructive fibre-matrix separation. Full carbon, full hemp, and two hybrid laminate configurations with different stacking sequences were manufactured, recycled through controlled thermo-mechanical disassembly, and reprocessed into new laminates. The flexural and interlaminar shear behaviour of virgin and recycled materials was investigated to assess the influence of the recycling process on mechanical performance.