Catalyst-assisted infrared heating for in-situ resin ablation in damaged carbon fiber reinforced polymer: Toward efficient composites repair

Efficient repair of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) remains a critical challenge due to the difficulty of selectively removing the damaged resin without degrading the underlying carbon fibers. In this study, a catalyst assisted infrared heating (CAIH) approach was developed to achieve in-situ resin ablation in damaged CFRP. The effects of processing parameters on resin degradation behavior, carbon fiber structures, and mechanical performance were systematically investigated, and the application potential of CAIH for CFRP repair was further evaluated. The results revealed that the resin degradation rate increased with both infrared power and heating duration, reaching 87.5% at 350 W and 40 min. The extent of surface oxidation and graphitic etching of carbon fibers intensified with increasing power and heating time. The carbon fibers after resin ablation retained approximately 89% of tensile strength of virgin carbon fibers, while maintaining 72.01% and 78.01% of the interfacial shear strength with epoxy and polylactic acid matrices, respectively. After repair, the CFRP recovered 95.11% of its tensile strength and 93.01% of its flexural strength relative to the intact specimens. These findings demonstrate that the CAIH enables efficient resin removal while preserving fibers integrity, and offering a promising approach for high efficiency repair of advanced composites.