• • At 450–500 °C, ≤30 min oxidation, and ≤5% O2, superheated steam pyrolysis achieves 99% epoxy matrix removal and ≥90% rCF tensile strength retention, overcoming the 'high-temperature, low-performance' bottleneck of conventional pyrolysis.
• • The CO2/steam two-step process, with pyrolysis gas combustion for heat recovery, reduces energy consumption to 45% of virgin fiber production and cuts carbon emissions by >25%, outperforming landfilling/incineration economically and environmentally.
• • Process scale-up from lab to industrial requires addressing exhaust gas treatment, adaptability to multi-component CFRP waste, and energy integration; current industrial setups still face these hurdles.
• • LCA confirms a ~25% reduction in energy consumption and ~30% reduction in carbon emissions compared to landfilling/incineration, validating the environmental advantage of superheated steam pyrolysis.