Carbon fiber & composite material

—Landscape Germany—

抄録

The commercialization of carbon fibers and their composites initially served the defence and aerospace industry. Sporting goods followed and allowed carbon fiber companies to survive the years after the cold war. High prices and manual production technologies hindered entrance into big consumer markets. This situation is going to change with the implementation of highly automated textile processes for the production of carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP). The biggest impetus is coming from the energy and CO₂ debate. Thus CFRP components will further grow in the aviation industry but also spread into automobiles, windmills, civil engineering and other industrial applications. The carbon fiber market is dominated by producers based in Japan and in the USA, with precursor production in the hands of Japanese companies. Europe has failed to build home-based precursor and carbon fiber production technologies. SGL Group—The Carbon Company as a leader in the carbon and graphite industry recognized this situation and started to expand its competence in carbon fiber and related technology. This includes its own precursor production as well as downstream processes like textile techniques and CFRP components. These activities are embedded in an industrial and scientific network which has its centre in the south of Germany. SGL's strategy is to become a European/German home-based key player in carbon fiber and composite technology.