Advanced industries and construction have recently mastered a lot of fundamentally new technologies, most of which are associated with innovative materials. An ordinary user could notice the manifestation of this process on the example of building materials with the inclusion of composites. Also in the automotive industry, carbon elements are being introduced that increase the performance of sports cars. And this is not all the areas in which carbon plastics are involved. The basis for this component are carbon fibers, a photo of which is presented below. Actually, the uniqueness of technical and physical qualities lies in the uniqueness and active distribution of new generation composites.
Production technology
For the production of material using raw materials in the form of natural or chemical fibers of organic origin. Further, as a result of special processing, only carbon atoms remain from the initial billet. The main driving force is temperature. The technological process involves the implementation of several stages of heat treatment. At the first stage, the primary structure is oxidized under temperature conditions up to 250 ° C. At the next stage, the production of carbon fibers goes into the carbonization procedure, as a result of which the material is heated in a nitrogen medium at high temperatures up to 1500 ° C. Thus, a graphite-like structure is formed. Finishing processing in the form of graphitization at 3000 ° C completes the entire manufacturing process. At this stage, the content of pure carbon in the fibers reaches 99%.
Where is carbon fiber used?
If in the first years of popularization the material was used exclusively in highly specialized areas, today there is an expansion of production in which this chemical fiber is involved. The material is quite plastic and heterogeneous in terms of operating capabilities. With a high probability, the applications of such fibers will expand, but today the basic types of presentation of the material on the market have taken shape. In particular, the construction industry, medicine, the manufacture of electrical equipment, household appliances, etc. can be noted. With regard to specialized areas, the use of carbon fibers is still relevant for manufacturers of aircraft, medical electrodes and radar absorbing materials.
Manufacturing forms
First of all, these are heat-resistant textile products, among which we can distinguish fabrics, threads, knitwear, felt, etc. A more technological direction is the manufacture of composites. Perhaps this is the widest segment in which carbon fiber is presented as the basis of products for mass production. In particular, these are bearings, heat-resistant units, parts and various elements that work in aggressive environments. Mostly composites are focused on the automotive market, however, the construction industry is also quite willing to consider new offers from manufacturers of this chemical fiber.
Material properties
The specifics of the technology for obtaining the material left its mark on the performance of the fibers. As a result, high thermal stability has become the main distinguishing feature of the structure of such products. In addition to thermal influences, the material is resistant to chemical aggressive environments. True, if oxygen is present in the oxidation process during heating, this is detrimental to the fibers. But the mechanical strength of carbon fiber can compete with many traditional materials, which are considered solid and resistant to damage. This quality is especially pronounced in carbon products. Another property that is in demand among technologists of various products is the ability to absorb. Due to the active surface, this fiber can be considered as an effective catalytic system.
Manufacturers
The leading companies in the segment are American, Japanese and German companies. Russian technologies in this area have not practically developed in recent years and are still based on developments from the time of the USSR. Today, half of the world's fibers are accounted for by Japanese companies Mitsubishi, Kureha, Teijin, etc. The other part is divided between Germans and Americans. So, from the US side, Cytec acts, and in Germany, carbon fiber is produced by SGL. Not so long ago, the Taiwanese company Formosa Plastics was included in the list of leaders in this area. As for domestic production, only two companies are engaged in the development of composites - Argon and Khimvolokno. At the same time, significant achievements in recent years have been made by Belarusian and Ukrainian entrepreneurs, mastering new niches for the commercial use of carbon fiber reinforced plastics.
The future of carbon fiber
Since some types of carbon fiber reinforced plastics will soon produce products that can maintain their original structure for millions of years, many experts predict the overproduction of such products. Despite this, interested companies continue to race technology updates. And in many ways this is justified, since the properties of carbon fibers are an order of magnitude superior to the similar qualities of traditional materials. It is enough to recall the strength and heat resistance. Based on these advantages, developers and are mastering new directions of development. The introduction of the material is likely to cover not only specialized areas, but also areas close to the mass consumer. For example, ordinary plastic, aluminum and wooden elements can be replaced by carbon fiber, which in a number of operational qualities will exceed the usual materials.
Conclusion
The widespread use of innovative chemical fibers is hindered by many factors. One of the most significant is the high cost. Since carbon fiber requires the use of high-tech equipment for manufacturing, not every company can afford it. But this is not the most important thing. The fact is that far from all areas manufacturers are interested in such radical changes in product quality. So, increasing the durability of one element of the infrastructure, the manufacturer can not always perform a similar modernization on related components. The result is an imbalance that nullifies all the achievements of new technologies.