Cost-Effective Manufacturing Method for Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer
The Problem
The continued growth in the use of carbon fiber as reinforcement in composite material products is currently limited, due to high material costs. Moreover, in many applications, carbon fiber and polymer are first combined to manufacture semi-finished products, a step that increases production costs of the application manufacturing chain, which further limits the use of carbon fiber.
The Solution
Researchers at the University of Tennessee have developed an innovative, cost-effective, single step process of preparing carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) semi-finished products.
In a single continuous process, the carbon fibers are first prepared from a carbon fiber precursor and then in-line impregnated with a polymeric resin. This process works for individual carbon fiber tows containing 3k to >50k fillaments. This method can produce CFRP semi-finished products that contain between 10%-70% carbon fiber weight fraction.
The system works with either thermoplastic or thermosetting polymer matrix and can be used to produce CFRP semi-finished products such as continuous tapes and rods and discontinuous flakes and pellets or other similar derivative products.
Benefits
| Benefit |
|---|
| Significantly reduces costs of carbon fiber reinforced polymer semi-finished products, thus lowering the cost of existing applications and expanding the use of carbon fiber composites |
| Can easily be implemented into existing or new carbon fiber manufacturing lines with low capital investment |
| Applicable to numerous processes including tape placement, pultrusion, injection, and compression molding |
More Information
- Maha Krishnamurthy, Ph.D., MBA
- UTRF President
- 865-974-1882 | mkrishn1@tennessee.edu
- UTRF Reference ID: 19146
- Patent Status: 11441001
Innovators
George Husman
Former CTO and Director of Zoltek Corporation
Mr. George Husman began his career with the U.S. Air Force and has held senior positions at BASF, Southern Research Institute, University of Alabama Birmingham, and Zoltek. Throughout his career, his research interests have included composite materials, and manufacturing technologies and applications.
Read more about George HusmanDr. Uday Vaidya
UT/ORNL Governor's Chair in Advanced Composites Manufacturing Professor; Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering (MABE) Chief Technology Officer; Institute for Advanced Composites and Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI)
Dr. Vaidya received his Ph.D. in Mechanical and Materials Engineering from Auburn University in 7993 and joined UT in 2075. Previously, he earned his B. S. in Mechanical Engineering at Karnataka University, India, and his M.S. in Mechanical Design Engineering at Shivaji University, India. His research focuses on advanced composites manufacturing, composite materials applications, nano-bio materials, and composites recycling/ sustainability.
Read more about Dr. Uday Vaidya