Carbon fibers and their composites have attracted much attention in recent years and are being used in an increasing number of industries. However, due to the high production costs of carbon fibers and the complex manufacturing process of composites, their use in large series applications is still limited. The main cost driver in carbon fiber manufacturing is the production of the precursor fiber, with polyacrylonitrile (PAN) being the prevailing feedstock today. Approximately 50% of the production cost of carbon fibers is related to the precursor fiber. For this reason, the use of a new precursor material offers enormous cost-saving potential.Polyethylene (PE) is a promising alternative to PAN due to its high carbon content, low cost, high availability, and melt processability. This study reviews the research and development activities on PE-based carbon fibers. The manufacturing of the precursor fiber and its conversion process into a carbon fiber are discussed. The review also provides an overview of published information on concepts for commercial production of PE-based carbon fibers and various cost models.
Carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRPs) can be classified according to whether the matrix is a thermoset or a thermoplastic. Thermoset-matrix composites are by tradition far more common, but thermoplastic-matrix composites are gaining in importance. There are several techniques for combining carbon fibres with a thermoplastic-matrix system. The composite’s characteristics as well as its manufacturing costs are dependent on the impregnation technique of the carbon fibre and the textile structure respectively. Carbon fibre reinforced thermoplastics (CFRTPs) are suitable for fast and economic production of high-performance components. Despite the higher material costs thermoplastic-matrix systems show cost benefits in comparison to thermoset-matrix due to substantial time savings in the production process. Moreover CFRTPs can be manufactured in large production runs. The commingling of reinforcement fibres with matrix fibres is a well-established process. Another approach is the coating of the carbon fibre with a thermoplastic subsequent to the carbon fibre production (carbonization, activation and deposition of sizing). The latter point is currently subject of research and is a promising method for further increasing the production speed.
This paper presents the different possibilities of impregnating carbon fibres with a thermoplastic matrix. Diverse technologies along the process chain of the CFRTP production will be discussed.
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