Date of Award

8-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Environmental Engineering and Earth Science

Committee Chair/Advisor

Michael Carbajales-Dale

Committee Member

Gang Li

Committee Member

Terry Walker

Committee Member

Srikanth Pilla

Abstract

Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites (CFRPs) have emerged as promising materials, particularly for lightweight applications, with the potential to reduce environmental impacts across multiple sectors, including automotive, aerospace, and renewable energy. However, fully realizing their sustainability potential requires a more comprehensive and context-specific understanding of their environmental performance throughout the entire life cycle—from raw material production to end-of-life management.

This dissertation advances life cycle assessment (LCA) practices for CFRPs by addressing key challenges across multiple phases of the CFRP life cycle. First, I conducted a critical review and meta-analysis of carbon fiber manufacturing, revealing substantial variability in reported data on energy use and environmental impacts. This work underscores the heterogeneity of carbon fibers (e.g., varying by grade, precursor type, production scale, and geographic location), and demonstrates that carbon fiber cannot be treated as a single commodity in environmental assessments. The analysis also reveals that existing data are insufficient for robust evaluation and highlights the need for more detailed and consistent data reporting. Second, I empirically measured electricity use from an advanced composite manufacturing process (i.e., big area additive manufacturing), filling a critical data gap in the literature and supporting the sustainable development of advanced manufacturing. Third, I conducted a comparative study that evaluates the environmental performance of two emerging CFRP recycling technologies (pyrolysis and solvolysis). The results emphasize the need for tailored LCAs that address diverse stakeholder priorities and provide forward-looking insights to support circular economy strategies for CFRP recycling. Finally, an integrated life cycle case study quantifies the environmental trade-offs of CFRP-based lightweighting in light-duty vehicles, demonstrating the conditions under which such applications yield environmental benefits across different vehicle types.

Collectively, this research contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the environmental sustainability of CFRPs, supporting informed decision-making in material and manufacturing process selection, process optimization, and circular economy development.

Author ORCID Identifier

0009-0009-1968-0038

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