UV‐Induced Photocatalytic Degradation of Carbon Fiber‐Reinforced Amine‐Cured Epoxy Composites Using an Acetic Acid/H 2 O 2 System

ABSTRACT Environmentally friendly recycling of carbon fiber‐reinforced polymer (CFRP) waste is an urgent issue. In this study, amine‐cured epoxy resin‐based CFRPs were degraded using a UV‐irradiated acetic acid/H 2 O 2 system. The physicochemical properties of the recovered carbon fibers (RCFs) and degradation products were systematically characterized using SEM, XPS, FTIR, LC‐MS, tensile and IFSS testing to deduce the degradation mechanism. Results indicate that UV irradiation accelerates hydroxyl radical generation and induces electronic transitions in C─N bonds. This significantly lowers the activation energy for bond cleavage, thereby enhancing degradation efficiency. Under optimal atmospheric conditions—CH 3 COOH/H 2 O 2 /resin mass ratio of 25: 5: 1, 110°C, and 365 nm UV irradiation at 95% intensity (119 mW/cm 2 )—100% resin degradation was achieved in just 15 min. Furthermore, the surface oxygen content of the RCFs doubled compared to the pristine fibers, while retaining over 96% of their original single‐fiber tensile strength.