How Carbon Fiber Reduce Environmental pollution？
Carbon fiber is a "wonder" material that adds exceptional strength without adding weight to airplanes, wind turbines and cars. New technologies currently working globally to improve its production and recycling mean even greater environmental benefits in the future.
Carbon fiber has long been hailed as the hero of the engineering materials age. It's an ultra-high-strength, low-weight substance made up of carbon atoms in the form of graphite, the same carbon atoms in a pencil, that's ten times stronger than steel while being one-fourth the weight.
The aviation industry uses carbon fiber to make tail parts and other structural parts of aircraft such as the Airbus A310, while the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the most advanced long-haul aircraft of its kind, has a carbon fiber fuselage.
Because planes and cars with carbon fiber airframes/bodies are lighter, they require less fuel to propel. This helps the transport industry reduce its carbon footprint. But with EU lawmakers aiming to cut CO2 emissions from transport by 45% by 2030, it is an even more ambitious target that will require further technological breakthroughs to usher in a new era of low-carbon transport.
The shift to electric vehicles (EVs) powered by renewable energy is at the forefront of these efforts, but at the same time the automotive industry is under pressure to ensure that all fuel-dependent vehicles remain as lightweight and fuel-efficient as possible, especially in emerging markets. Driven by economic demand, global car ownership continues to grow.
At the same time, airplanes are getting bigger and bigger. Since 2013, the passenger traffic of the global aviation industry has grown at a rate of 5% to 8% every year. With the need to transport more people, the weight of aircraft increases and so does the need for more fuel, adding to the challenge of reducing emissions.
The Rise of Carbon Fiber
Carbon fibers are filaments with diameters between 5 and 10 microns made of carbon atoms in the form of graphite. Each filament is almost one-tenth the diameter of a human hair. These are combined with materials such as epoxy resins, which are then cured with heat in giant ovens to create carbon fiber composites.
In the 1960s, new processes led to the production of high-performance carbon fibers, with Japan leading the way. Carbon fiber composites are now used in everything from bicycles to Formula 1 racing cars, and from wind turbines to laptop casings. While modern fibers are stronger than ever, experts say we've only scratched the surface of the material's potential.
Toray is a company deeply involved in the field of carbon fiber, and it has been a world leader in the development of carbon fiber since the 1970s. In recent years, Toray has developed an advanced product for use in rockets, satellites and aircraft. Due to the harsh environments in which the aerospace industry operates, the highest quality materials are essential, and the new T1100G is one of the strongest and most corrosion resistant carbon fibers on the market. The use of innovative carbonization technology to control the fiber structure at the nanometer level enables it to withstand enormous tension and compression, and makes the material highly resistant to corrosion, creep and fatigue.
The automotive industry is also using carbon fiber in its transition to electric vehicles. For example, Toray's flagship electric car Teewave AR1 uses carbon fiber in its basic structure including the hood, dashboard and roof, while the shock absorber made of carbon fiber composite material has greater rigidity provide greater protection. On top of that, the car is also lighter. It is one-third lighter than other commercial electric vehicles and reduces CO2 emissions by 9%.
Carbon Fiber of the Future
The development of carbon fiber is not without its challenges, not least the need to recycle it responsibly. But the investment in innovation is starting to pay off. Toray has partnered with Toyota Tsusho to develop a technology that can extract and reuse the gas emitted when carbon fiber waste is burned.
Another challenge is the cost of carbon fiber production. Even though it has dropped from over $100 a pound in the 1970s to around $10 today, it's still expensive. Global fiber consumption is expected to more than double from 60,000 tons in 2015 to around 150,000 tons by 2025. If the industry recycles properly, it could increase the supply of low-cost carbon fiber, increasing the viability of the material for use in multiple industries.
This is an exciting time in the development of carbon fiber. With the growing popularity of turbine blades in the wind power industry, lightweight cars and aircraft, the role of this "wonder" material in an increasingly decarbonized world appears secure.