Carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites (CFRPs) are one of the most widely used composite types and wastes associated with them (CFRPs) get generated through either their manufacturing or end-of-service-life. Predominately due to environmental concerns and governmental regulations, recycling these CFRPs is needed and to make use of the recycled carbon fibers (rCFs), a wet paper-making technique was used to convert the rCFs into a 60 g/m2non-woven mat. For comparison purposes, the same technique was used to convert short virgin aramid fibers (vAFs) into a 60 g/m 2 non-woven mat. Each mat was sandwiched with two resin films and then interleaved with 12-ply unidirectional (UD) prepreg tapes (carbon/epoxy). The assemblage was molded into composite laminates using a vacuum bagging assisted compression molding technique, and the samples for the tests were cut using a waterjet machine accordingly. Compared with the control, the results indicate an increment in the flexural modulus, and the specific flexural modulus for the CFRPs with non-woven mats: the flexural modulus increased by approximately 8.2% and 12.0% for the CFRP with rCF and vAF mats, respectively; the specific flexural modulus increased around 9.5% and 13.3%, respectively for the CFRP with rCF and vAF mats. On the other hand, the shear strength approximately decreased by 6.4% and 6.0% for the CFRP with rCF and vAF mats, respectively. The negative shear strength performances of the composite laminates with non-woven mats reflected on their flexural strength performances: the flexural strength increased about 1.1% and decreased by approximately 7.9% for the CFRP with vAF and rCF mats, respectively. To resolve the negative shear strength performances, it is recommended that the surfaces of the mats be treated with a coupling agent to improve their interfacial adhesions.

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The Ashby limit for mechanical damping and stiffness trade-off must be escaped to quantify composites for structural applications. To make the composites, all the participating fibers were converted into 60 g/m 2 non-woven mats, which were then sized with 1.5 wt. percent titanate coupling, TCA-L12, before being sandwiched between two layers of 125 g/m 2 resin films and used to interleave 12 unidirectional carbon fiber reinforced polymer prepreg tapes. Using the vacuum-assisted compression molding method, the assemblage was subsequently turned into composites. The impact of micro-hybridizing recycled carbon fibers with short virgin aramid fibers on mechanical damping and stiffness trade-offs was examined. The Ashby limit was exceeded by 1600%, and compared to the control sample, the best laminate had a figure of merit that was 15.3% higher.