Carbon Nanotube Fibers Can Be Fully Recycled Without Losing Properties
A breakthrough in materials science has unveiled that carbon nanotube (CNT) fibers can be fully recycled without losing their original properties, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional materials like metals, polymers, and carbon fibers. This advancement is seen as a critical step toward reducing environmental impact in manufacturing sectors such as aerospace, automotive, and electronics. The findings highlight a potential solution to waste management issues, addressing a long-standing challenge in material recycling.
CNT Fiber Recyclability
According to a study published in the journal Carbon (2024), researchers at Rice University demonstrated that CNT fibers could be recycled with their mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties intact. The study utilised solution-spun CNT fibers dissolved in chlorosulfonic acid, an industrial solvent. Fibers from different manufacturers were mixed and processed to create a recycled material that showed no loss in performance, even when sourced from multiple origins.
Matteo Pasquali, Director of Rice University’s Carbon Hub and A.J. Hartsook, Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, stated to phys.org that the recyclability of CNT fibers significantly surpasses existing materials. He emphasised the inefficiencies in metals recycling, the degradation of polymers and the limitations of carbon fibers, which can only be downcycled. CNT fibers, on the other hand, offer a sustainable alternative by retaining their properties even after multiple recycling cycles.
Recycling Process Simplifies Material Recovery
Graduate researcher Michelle Durán-Chaves also noted to phys.org that the recycling process eliminated the need for sorting, as fibers from various sources could be combined seamlessly. This simplification is expected to reduce energy consumption, emissions, and waste associated with material production.
Impact Across Multiple Industries
The study’s findings suggest that CNT fibers could lead to fully recyclable composites for use in critical applications like aircraft, vehicles, and infrastructure. The efficiency and sustainability of this recycling method provide a pathway to addressing environmental concerns in manufacturing, marking a significant step toward circular economy practices. By scaling up this innovation, industries can achieve greater sustainability without compromising material performance, presenting a promising future for engineered materials in diverse applications.
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Astronomers international team has employed various satellites and telescopes for performing multiwavelength observations of a supernova remnant known as SNR J0450.4-7050. The result that scientists got after an observational campaign, published on June 18, 2025, on the preprint server arXiv, gained new insights into the properties of this remnant, and observed that it is much larger than thought in the past. Supernova remnants (SNRs) are expanded structures resulting from the explosion of a supernova. It usually lasts for several hundred thousand years before the time it disperses into the interstellar medium.
Multiwavelength Observations Reveal New Details of SNR J0450.4-7050
As per the study by NASA, observations by the scientists indicate that SNRs contain the ejected expansion of material from the explosion and other interstellar material swept by the passage of the shockwave from the star that exploded. SNR studies beyond the Milky Way are important for comprehending the feedback in different evolutionary phases and gaining valuable insights into the local ISM. The Large Magellanic Cloud is the galaxy that has its SNR population explored in depth.
Importance of Studying Supernova Remnants Beyond the Milky Way
The recent observations reveal that SNR J0450.4-7050, a large supernova remnant in the LMC having physical dimensions of 332 by 244 light years, is estimated to have the remnants of around 45,000 years old. Scientists named it Veliki, which means large in Serbian. It also showcases the complex filamentary morphology with different inner and outer shell structures.
Discovery of Veliki: A Large, Aged Remnant in the Large Magellanic Cloud
An astronomer’s group led by Zachary J. Smeaton decided to take a closer observation of SNR J0450.4−7050 by the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder and MeerKAT radio telescope. The SNR showed a high radial surface brightness with one of the lowest average radio spectral indices, with similar remnants.
Unusual Radio Properties Suggest Veliki is a Fully Radiative SNR
These unusual features, according to the scientists, give the prediction that Veliki is mainly a radiative SNR with a high shock compression ratio. This states about the non-thermal spectrum and higher surface brightness and emissions. Further observations of the surrounding environment are needed to confirm the hypothesis with an understanding of the remnants’ nature in a better way.
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