SGL Group launches thermoplastic organic carbon sheets
October 06, 2015 - United States Of America
SGL Group, the carbon company, presented a new product in the form of thermoplastic organic sheets based on carbon and glass fibres, at the Composites Europe trade show from September 22-24, 2015, in Germany.
The company presented for the first time long fibre-reinforced thermoplastics (LFRTs) and their application, using the example of a front end. In follow-up to the trade show, SGL Group started the commercialization of unidirectional tapes and the presented LFRTs.
UD tapes are composite materials based on unidirectional carbon fibres. The UD tapes can be manufactured using various thermoplastics according to customer requests. Appropriate sizing of the fibres ensures optimal bonding to the plastic, which leads to outstanding mechanical properties, according to a press release.
The LFRT materials are long-fibre-reinforced thermoplastic granules, such as those based on polyamides (PA) or polyphthalamide (PPA). Various glass fibres are used as reinforcing fibres, customised for each customer applications. 24k fibres (“SIGRAFIL C T24-4.8/240-T140”) and 50k fibres (“SIGRAFIL C T50-4.0/240-T140”) developed especially for this application are used as carbon-fibre reinforcement. The benefits of the two materials lie in their high strength and rigidity coupled with low density. They also exhibit limited creep tendencies and excellent chemical resistance.
Andreas Wüllner, head of the composite fibres and materials business unit, “The new products are the ideal additions to our range of thermoplastic materials. The thermoplastics material set of SGL Group gives us the opportunity to work together with our customers in opening up new applications in the industrial field, the automotive and sports goods industries and aerospace.”
At the Composites Europe trade show, the application of the two new products has been demonstrated using the example of a front end. This component from the automotive industry was manufactured in an injection-moulding process with the aid of the LFRT materials. In this procedure, areas under significant local stress are provided with targeted reinforcement by means of UD tapes. Both materials are machined together in a single process step. (GK)
The company presented for the first time long fibre-reinforced thermoplastics (LFRTs) and their application, using the example of a front end. In follow-up to the trade show, SGL Group started the commercialization of unidirectional tapes and the presented LFRTs.
UD tapes are composite materials based on unidirectional carbon fibres. The UD tapes can be manufactured using various thermoplastics according to customer requests. Appropriate sizing of the fibres ensures optimal bonding to the plastic, which leads to outstanding mechanical properties, according to a press release.
The LFRT materials are long-fibre-reinforced thermoplastic granules, such as those based on polyamides (PA) or polyphthalamide (PPA). Various glass fibres are used as reinforcing fibres, customised for each customer applications. 24k fibres (“SIGRAFIL C T24-4.8/240-T140”) and 50k fibres (“SIGRAFIL C T50-4.0/240-T140”) developed especially for this application are used as carbon-fibre reinforcement. The benefits of the two materials lie in their high strength and rigidity coupled with low density. They also exhibit limited creep tendencies and excellent chemical resistance.
Andreas Wüllner, head of the composite fibres and materials business unit, “The new products are the ideal additions to our range of thermoplastic materials. The thermoplastics material set of SGL Group gives us the opportunity to work together with our customers in opening up new applications in the industrial field, the automotive and sports goods industries and aerospace.”
At the Composites Europe trade show, the application of the two new products has been demonstrated using the example of a front end. This component from the automotive industry was manufactured in an injection-moulding process with the aid of the LFRT materials. In this procedure, areas under significant local stress are provided with targeted reinforcement by means of UD tapes. Both materials are machined together in a single process step. (GK)