29

Nov

Recycled Carbon Fibre Moves into Automotive

Chery New Energy Automobile Technology Co. Ltd. in China has pledged to apply recycled carbon fibre from ELG Carbon Fibre to its eQ1 electric vehicle. The ultimate goal is to expand the fibre into higher volume vehicles.

 

ELG Carbon Fibre Ltd. (Coseley, UK) and Adesso Advanced Materials Wuhu Co. Ltd. (Wuhu, China) have concluded a MOU regarding cooperation to develop lightweight composite components for the automotive industry based on ELG’s recycled carbon fibre materials.

 

The initial focus of the cooperation is to investigate applications that have been identified by Chery New Energy Automobile Technology Co. Ltd. (Wuhu, China) on the Chery eQ1 electric vehicle. The goal is to further reduce the weight of the eQ1, which already makes extensive use of aluminium technology, through selective use of carbon fibre composites. The longer term intent is to then apply the knowledge gained from these projects in Chery’s conventional vehicles.

Following a preliminary evaluation of ELG’s materials by Professor Fan Guanghong’s team at the Advanced Manufacture Technology Center of China Academy of Machinery Science Technology (CAMTC), Chery has suggested initial applications to be investigated, and providing that technical and commercial targets are achieved.  ELG, Adesso and Chery intend to enter into a definite agreement to start full-scale production of these parts in Wuhu. This agreement would see ELG Carbon Fibre establish a carbon fibre recycling operation in China when sufficient volumes of recycled carbon fibre materials are required.

Frazer Barnes, managing director of ELG Carbon Fibre, says, “The eQ1, through its extensive use of aluminium, already represents a huge advancement in lightweighting for the Chinese car industry. We are pleased to be working with the innovative engineering team at Adesso and Chery to help them take the next step forward and start introducing carbon fibre composites into their vehicles”.

Dr. Bo Liang, president, chairman and CEO of Adesso, says, “Working together in this project enables us to address the barriers preventing large-scale use of carbon fibre composites in automotive applications —namely cost — through the use of recycled materials, design and manufacturing and collaboration with experienced partners. Our vision is that cooperation leads to an automotive composites hub in Wuhu. It also strengthens our vision on sustainability of the composite industry in China.”

Gao Lixin, deputy general manager of Chery Automobile Co. Ltd. and general manager of Chery New Energy Automobile Technology Co. Ltd., says, “There is a strong need to reduce the weight of both new energy and conventional vehicles in order to meet environmental and performance targets. We believe carbon fibre composites have an important role to play in this and through our cooperation with ELG and Adesso on the eQ1 project we will gain a significant learning curve advantage that we can then use in our conventional vehicles.”

 

Buy carbon fibre, fibreglass and other composites online in Australia at Beyond Materials

28

Nov

Benefits of Composites

Benefits of Composites

 

Light Weight – Composites are light in weight compared to most woods and metals. Their lightness is important in automobiles and aircraft, for example, where less weight means better fuel efficiency. Designers of airplanes are greatly concerned with weight, since reducing a craft’s weight reduces the amount of fuel it needs, and increases the speeds it can reach.

High Strength – Composites can be designed to be far stronger than aluminium or steel. Metals are equally strong in all directions. But composites can be engineered and designed to be strong in a specific direction.

Strength to Weight – Strength-to-weight ratio is a material’s strength in relation to how much it weighs. Some materials are very strong and heavy, such as steel. Other materials can be strong and light, such as bamboo poles. Composite materials can be designed to be both strong and light. This property is why composites are used to build airplanes—which need a very high strength material at the lowest possible weight. A composite can also be made to resist bending in one direction, for example. When something is built with metal, and greater strength is needed in one direction, the material usually must be made thicker, which adds weight. Composites can be strong without being heavy. Composites have the highest strength-to-weight ratios in structures today.

Corrosion Resistance – Composites resist damage from the weather and from harsh chemicals that can eat away at other materials. Composites are good choices where chemicals are handled or stored. Outside, they stand up to severe weather and wide changes in temperature.

High-Impact Strength – Composites can be made to absorb impacts—the sudden force of a bullet, for instance, or the blast from an explosion. Because of this property, composites are used in bullet-proof vests and panels, and to shield airplanes, buildings, and military vehicles from explosions.

Design Flexibility – Composites can be moulded into complicated shapes more easily than most other materials. This gives designers the freedom to create almost any shape or form. Most recreational boats today, for example, are built from fibreglass composites because these materials can easily be moulded into complex shapes which improve boat design while lowering costs. The surface of composites can also be moulded to mimic any surface finish or texture, from smooth to pebbly.

Part Consolidation – A single piece made of composite materials can replace an entire assembly of metal parts. Reducing the number of parts in a machine or a structure saves time and cuts down on the maintenance needed over the life of the item.

Dimensional Stability – Composites retain their shape and size when they are hot or cool, wet or dry. Wood, on the other hand, swells and shrinks as the humidity changes. Composites can be a better choice in situations demanding tight fits that do not vary.

Nonconductive – Composites are nonconductive, meaning they do not conduct electricity. This property makes them suitable for such items as electrical utility poles and the circuit boards in electronics. If electrical conductivity is needed, it is possible to make some composites conductive.

Nonmagnetic – Composites contain no metals; therefore, they are not magnetic. They can be used around sensitive electronic equipment. The lack of magnetic interference allows large magnets used in MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) equipment to perform better. Composites are used in both the equipment housing and table. In addition, the construction of the room uses composites rebar to reinforced the concrete walls and floors in the hospital.

Radar Transparent – Radar signals pass right through composites, a property that makes composites ideal materials for use anywhere radar equipment is operating, whether on the ground or in the air. Composites play a key role in stealth aircraft, such as the U.S. Air Force’s B-2 stealth bomber, which is nearly invisible to radar.

Low Thermal Conductivity – Composites are good insulators—they do not easily conduct heat or cold. They are used in buildings for doors, panels, and windows where extra protection is needed from severe weather.

Durable – Structures made of composites have a long life and need little maintenance. We do not know how long composites last, because we have not come to the end of the life of many original composites. Many composites have been in service for half a century.

25

Sep

Carbon Fibre Robotic Arm

This prosthesis is called the BeBionic3 myoelectric hand and it’s made by a British company named RSLSteeper

About six years ago, Nigel Ackland lost half of his arm in an unfortunate work accident. And now rather than sporting a typical, silicon, prosthetic hand that mimics human flesh, Ackland is sporting the Terminator look.

The BeBionic3 is far beyond your typical prosthetic arm and allows for more control and greater grips. It is made with a full carbon fibre body and has aluminum and alloy knuckles. The hand works from sensors on both sides of his arm and once activated, can be controlled by two muscles. It comes with eight different programmed grips which allow him to point a finger, type on a keyboard, hold a mouse and much more…like scaring children with a “come here” motion. You can see what I mean in the video below. The thumb position can also be moved around, to allow for more reach and grab. While there is no exact word on price yet, you can expect it to go for a pretty penny. But it will hopefully be covered by most insurance and Medicare in the U.S. and the national healthcare in the U.K.

 

Also from the video, you can see that the BeBionic3 is gentle enough to grab eggs from a carton yet powerful enough to hold onto a nice cold beer. It’s also obvious from the video, Ackland considers himself extremely fortunate to have been given such an awesome second chance at having a hand.

Make sure to check out the videos below to see for yourself. It truly is amazing how far prosthetic have come, thanks to carbon fibre and technology.

12

Sep

What is Carbon Fibre?

A carbon fibre is a long, thin strand of material about 0.0002-0.0004 in (0.005-0.010 mm) in diameter and composed mostly of carbon atoms. The carbon atoms are bonded together in microscopic crystals that are more or less aligned parallel to the long axis of the fibre. The crystal alignment makes the fibre incredibly strong for its size. Several thousand carbon fibres are twisted together to form a yarn, which may be used by itself or woven into a fabric. The yarn or fabric is combined with epoxy and wound or molded into shape to form various composite materials. Carbon fibre-reinforced composite materials are used to make aircraft and spacecraft parts, racing car bodies, golf club shafts, bicycle frames, fishing rods, automobile springs, sailboat masts, and many other components where light weight and high strength are needed.

Carbon fibres are classified by the tensile modulus of the fibre. The English unit of measurement is pounds of force per square inch of cross-sectional area, or psi. Carbon fibres classified as “low modulus” have a tensile modulus below 34.8 million psi (240 million kPa). Other classifications, in ascending order of tensile modulus, include “standard modulus,” “intermediate modulus,” “high modulus,” and “ultrahigh modulus.” Ultrahigh modulus carbon fibres have a tensile modulus of 72.5 -145.0 million psi (500 million-1.0 billion kPa). As a comparison, steel has a tensile modulus of about 29 million psi (200 million kPa). Thus, the strongest carbon fibres are ten times stronger than steel and eight times that of aluminum, not to mention much lighter than both materials, 5 and 1.5 times, respectively. Additionally, their fatigue properties are superior to all known metallic structures, and they are one of the most corrosion-resistant materials available, when coupled with the proper resins.

Thirty years ago, carbon fibre was a space-age material, too costly to be used in anything except aerospace. However today, carbon fibre is being used in wind turbines, automobiles, sporting goods, and many other applications.

Buy carbon fibre, fibreglass and other composites online in Australia at Beyond Materials