What is carbon fiber composite?
Carbon fiber is a long and thin material chain with a diameter of about 0.0002 to 0.0004 inches (0.005-0.010 mm), mainly composed of carbon atoms. The strongest carbon fiber is 10 times stronger than steel, 8 times stronger than aluminum, and much lighter than the two materials, 5 times and 1.5 times respectively. In addition, their fatigue properties are superior to all known metal structures, and when combined with a suitable resin, they are one of the most corrosion-resistant materials available.
According to the different raw materials, carbon fiber can be divided into three categories. The world can achieve industrial-scale production mainly including polymerization (PAN)-based carbon fiber, pitch-based carbon fiber and viscose-based carbon fiber. Among them, PAN-based carbon fiber occupies an absolute majority. Status, with a share of more than 90%, followed by pitch-based carbon fiber accounting for about 6-8%, and viscose-based carbon fiber production is the lowest.
From the perspective of application fields, the demand for classic application scenarios such as aerospace, sports equipment, automobiles, building reinforcement, and molding compounding is still strong, and emerging fields such as wind power and pressure vessels have become another important engine driving the market. Among them, wind power and aerospace accounted for nearly half, followed by sports and leisure and automotive markets.
Global and Chinese carbon fiber composite materials development and early stage of development:
In 1860, Joseph Swann invented carbon fiber for the first time in light bulbs.
In 1879, Thomas Edison baked cotton threads or bamboo strips at high temperatures and carbonized them into full carbon fiber filaments, which were used in one of the first incandescent bulbs and heated with electricity.
In 1958, Roger Bacon manufactured high-performance carbon fiber at the Union Carbide Par-ma Technology Center outside Cleveland, Ohio. These fibers are made by heating rayon threads until they are carbonized. Later facts proved that this method is inefficient because the resulting carbon fiber only contains about 20% carbon and has low strength and stiffness properties.
In the 1960s, experimental work to find alternative raw materials led to the introduction of carbon fiber composite materials made from petroleum pitch derived from petroleum processing. These fibers contain about 85% carbon and have excellent tensile strength. In addition, during this period, the Japanese government strongly supported the development of domestic carbon fiber, and several Japanese companies such as Toray, Teijin and Mitsubishi began their own development and production.
Since the late 1970s, more types of carbon fiber yarns have entered the global market, providing higher tensile strength and higher modulus of elasticity. For example, the tensile strength of T400 is 4,000MPa, and the modulus is 400GPa. Intermediate carbon fibers have been developed, such as IM 600 with up to 6,000MPa. Carbon fiber composite materials were first used in aerospace applications from secondary to primary components in military and later civil aircraft, such as aircraft from McDonald Douglas, Boeing, Airbus and United Aircraft Corporation.
China’s carbon fiber development history:
In the early 1970s, in order to meet the national defense needs, the Institute of Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences transferred some researchers from the Polymer Physics Laboratory and Special Polymer Materials Laboratory to establish groups 803 and 804, focusing on “continuous preparation of carbon fibers” and “shortening of carbon fiber preparation cycles.” Research” and achieved “stannic chloride” catalysis and other results.
In 1972, the Jilin Research Institute of Chemical Industry of the Ministry of Chemical Industry launched the nitric acid method to develop carbon fiber PAN precursors, and obtained the nitric acid one-step method to prepare the precursors on a 3 tons annual output device for the research of carbon fiber by the Shanxi Combustion and Chemical Institute and the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry. Shanxi Combustion and Chemical Company conducted indirect pre-oxidation and carbonization research, and carried out continuous pre-oxidation and carbonization tests.
From 1975 to 1990, foreign carbon fiber entered a stage of rapid development, but domestically, it only realized that there was no product, and it was not able to produce on a large scale.
Production capacity entered a stage of rapid development in 2007; there are currently nearly 30 domestic companies, but most of them are small in scale. Most of the companies’ single-line nominal capacity is only 1,000 tons, and many of them are only at the 100-ton level, tens of tons, and far away. Far from reaching the scale of market applications.
Carbon fiber development consolidation period:
The world financial crisis broke out in the second half of 2008, the real economy was deeply affected, and the demand for carbon fiber also declined. Especially when the recession was at its lowest point in 2009, many carbon fiber manufacturers also postponed or slowed down their development plans. However, since 2010, with the improvement of the economic crisis, the global carbon fiber market has shown signs of rapid recovery. The huge demand stimulates the recovery of the carbon fiber market, so the overall demand for carbon fiber is still on the rise. At present, the world’s carbon fiber production has reached more than 40,000 t/year. With the continuous expansion of carbon fiber applications, the market demand for carbon fiber is increasing. Carbon fiber and its composites The material industry is showing a good development trend. According to relevant departments] predictions, the world’s carbon fiber demand will grow rapidly at a rate of about 13% per year, and the global demand for carbon fiber will reach 100,000 tons in 2018. The world’s major carbon fiber manufacturers are Japan’s Toray, Toho Rayon and Mitsubishi Rayon, the United States’ HEXCEL, ZOLTEK, and ALDILA, as well as a few companies such as SGL SGL Group in Germany and Taekwang Industries in South Korea.
Forecast of carbon fiber industry to 2030:
Since 2010, the proportion of domestic carbon fiber in my country’s total carbon fiber demand has increased from 4.8% to the current 37.8%. Compared with 31.7% in 2019, the growth rate in 2020 is 53.8%. The rapid growth of more than 30% for three consecutive years.
In 2019, the total global carbon fiber demand was about 103,700 tons, an increase of about 12% year-on-year compared to 2018. Among them, the carbon fiber demand for wind power blades, aerospace, and sports and leisure was 25,500 tons, 23,500 tons, and 15,000 tons, respectively. Accounted for 24.59%, 22.66%, 14.46% of the total. In 2030, the demand for carbon fiber is expected to reach 422,200 tons.
In 2021, due to wind power and policy adjustments in China’s carbon fiber market, the supply of carbon fiber precursors is tight, and the price of raw materials has risen sharply. 2022 has come.
Future Composites Co., Ltd. will continue to maintain its original intention and actively develop new technologies and new products Customers provide the highest quality products and services.
