27-03-2012, 01:13 PM
A Review of feedstock for making carbon fiber, a material at the cutting
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edge of efficient energy technologies
Status Quo
PAN based carbon fibers have seen
a tremendous growth in demand
and modest growth in production in
the last 5 years
Pitch based fibers, are still quite
specialized in terms of low tensile
strength but high tensile modulus.
Pitch based Carbon fibers
In the US Amoco and Conoco made pitch based
CF but a huge investment by Conoco to
commercialize this product, at the turn of the
century was abandoned, partly due to the
merger with Philips.
Japanese companies continue to manufacture
pitch based carbon fibers to specialzed markets
requiring high tensile modulus, albeit lower
tensile strength.
Current world capacity, mainly in Japan is
Toray and Boeing net $6 billion deal
Toray industries has announced that it has signed a deal with Boeing for $6 billion worth
of carbon fibre. The material will be used primarily for Boeing's new mega-capacity 787
Dreamliner. $3 billion of this agreement comes from an existing 2004 pact.
Toray is the largest supplier of carbon fibre in the world and Japan's leading synthetic
fibre producer. It plans on raising its production capacity to the point where it would
distribute 39 per cent of the world's carbon fibre by 2010.
Boeing is attracted to using carbon fibre for its planes because the material makes its
jets both stronger and lighter, hence safer and requiring less fuel.
President of Toray Sadayuki Sakakibara told the Financial Times: "We estimate our
order will top $6 billion in total based on an assumption that Boeing will produce ten 787
planes a month in and after 2010. The order could increase further."
around 10% that of PAN based carbon fiber.
The Future
•The application of carbon fibers in aircraft
has is a win/win situation for everybody.
Lower fuel consumption and less emissions.
•The same benefits are there in the
automotive industry, providing world capacity
of carbon fiber can be raised.
•More carbon fiber better fuel efficiency
Less emissions.