Circularity and Techno-economic Analysis of Carbon-coated Products

This study investigates various de-coating methods for carbon-coated products (CCPs), aimed at promoting a circular economy by enhancing material reusability. This work performs a techno-economic analysis of common material reprocessing techniques such as chemical stripping, thermal decomposition, sandblasting, laser ablation, plasma processing, ultrasonic cleaning, electrochemical stripping, and the material degradation by tribology method by evaluating their circularity index, safety factors, technology readiness level, robustness, decorating efficiency, environmental impact, and economic feasibility. Through a decision matrix and techno-economic assessments, the research identifies the most effective and suitable methods for industrial applications, particularly in the cutting tool industry. The tribology method emerged as the potential strategy considering lower resource environments, particularly for small-to-medium-size enterprises and in low- and middle-income countries. This work also demonstrates the efficacy of tribology-based de-coating of diamond-like carbon-coated cutting blades using sandpapers of different grit sizes and reflects the economic viability of de-coated components over pristine components. The study concludes that the tribology method, particularly with P120 sandpaper, is an effective approach for de-coating CCPs, supporting material reuse, reducing carbon footprint, and fostering environmental sustainability within a circular economy framework.