Consider the following statements : 1. Carbon fibres are used in the manufacture of components used in automobiles and aircrafts. 2. Carbon fibres once used cannot be recycled. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only ✓ UPSC's answer
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Why the answer is (a)

• Carbon fibre — thin strands of carbon woven and set in resin — is exceptionally strong and light, which is why it is used in aircraft fuselages and wings (e.g. Boeing 787, Airbus A350), racing and luxury car bodies, and sports equipment — statement 1 is correct.

• Statement 2 is wrong: carbon-fibre composites can be recycled by pyrolysis or solvolysis to recover the fibres, which are reused in lower-grade products; recycling is harder than for metals but not impossible.

• India's Tejas aircraft and Chandrayaan structures also use carbon-fibre composites.

• Hence 1 only, option (a).

Why the other options are wrong

(b) 2 only: Statement 2 is wrong: carbon fibres can be recovered and recycled; statement 1 is correct.
(c) Both 1 and 2: Statement 2 is wrong, so both cannot be correct.
(d) Neither 1 nor 2: Statement 1 is correct: carbon fibre is widely used in vehicles and aircraft.

Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2023, held on 28 May 2023. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.