Composites

Huntsman to highlight dynamic fluid compression moulding process

7 January 2016

Huntsman Advanced Materials of Basel, Switzerland, will be showcasing a dynamic fluid compression moulding (DFCM) process at JEC World 2016 in Paris, France, on 8–10 March.

Hexcel buys remaining interest in Formax

6 January 2016

Hexcel Corp of Stamford, Connecticut, USA, has acquired full ownership of Formax UK Ltd of Narborough.

DIAB and Nexam form polyethylene terephthalate foam partnership

5 January 2016

DIAB has signed a partnership agreement with Nexam Chemical to develop a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) foam that incorporates the latter’s NEXAMITE technology.

Mass produced carbon fibre leaf springs for railroad trucks

4 January 2016

A mass-producible carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) leaf spring for railroad trucks is being developed by Toho Tenax Co Ltd and Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd.

Turning up the volume for automotive

In December 2015 Cytec opened an application centre to develop high-volume methods for the production of composite parts. Editor James Bakewell paid a visit.

Solvay completes purchase of Cytec

10 December 2015

Solvay has completed its acquisition of Cytec and will begin the integration of Cytec’s businesses into its own immediately.

Toray to increase carbon fibre production in USA following Boeing agreement

11 November 2015

Toray Industries Inc of Tokyo, Japan, has signed a comprehensive long-term agreement with Boeing Co of Chicago, Illinois, USA, to supply its Torayca carbon fibre prepreg for the production of the 7

Textile technologies can unlock the potential of composites

A barrier to the wider use of textile-reinforced polymer composites is the lack of an economic, high-volume manufacturing process for parts with complicated shapes. Hybrid yarns combined with advanced weaving could provide a solution, reports Amanda Jacob.

Ironman double for TeXtreme

13 October 2015

Daniela Ryf won the women’s Kona Ironman World Championship held in Hawaii on 10–12 October 2015.

Technical Fibre Products doubles nonwovens capacity

1 October 2015

High-performance nonwovens producer Technical Fibre Products (TFP) has installed a third manufacturing line at its facility in Kendal, UK.

Formax opens innovation centre

9 September 2015

Formax of Narborough, UK, has opened its innovation centre, which comprises three divisions: polymer composites; automation; ceramic composites.

Carbon fibres that possess both high strength and high tensile modulus

4 August 2015

Researchers in the USA have developed a spinning technique that enables them to improve both the strength and modulus of polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fibres.

SGL, BMW and University of Augsburg to develop thermoplastic-specific carbon fibres

22 July 2015

SGL Group plans to customize carbon fibres for thermoplastic matrices as part of the €2.9-million MAI CaFeE (Carbon Fiber with enhanced Elongation) project.

Toho Tenax improves carbon fibre for aerospace applications

14 July 2015

Toho Tenax Co has introduced a new grade of polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fibre that it claims combines high strength and high tensile modulus.

Graphene-enhanced sizing for carbon fibres

13 July 2015

Two companies have won funding to develop graphene-enhanced sizings for carbon fibres.

Aerogel film for composites

23 June 2015

San Antonio, Texas-based Blueshift International Materials has developed a 100% polyimide aerogel that can be easily incorporated into composites.

Plant opens to make conductive fibres for composites

18 June 2015

A plant dedicated to the production of nickel-coated fibres has opened in Cleveland, Utah, USA.

Carbon fibre and carbon composites set for steady growth

While there is a lot of publicity regarding the growing use of carbon fibre in cars⁽¹⁾, the automotive market has a long way to go to catch up with the biggest user of the material—the aerospace and defence sector. Joining our team of regular contributors, Composites Editor Amanda Jacob summarizes the findings of the latest report on the global markets for carbon fibre and carbon composites.

Tough and colourful composite smartphone housings

10 June 2015

A rapid moulding technique developed by RocTool is being used by Motorola to mass-produce fibre-reinforced housings for smartphones.

Formax building innovation centre for fabric design

9 June 2015

Multiaxial fabric specialist Formax is currently constructing an innovation centre at its headquarters in Narborough, UK, to support its customers’ product development processes.

Thermoplastic veils introduced to toughen composites

31 March 2015

A range of thermoplastic nonwoven veils designed to improve the mechanical properties of composites made their debut during the JEC Europe exhibition held on 10–12 March 2015 in Paris, Fra

Carbon textiles tailored for reinforcing polyamide

31 March 2015

SGL says it has successfully concluded its development of carbon fibres and fabrics, as well as specialized sizings for such textiles, as its part of a collaborative project aimed at making composi

Biaxial carbon reinforcements

1 March 2015

A UK specialist in bespoke mulitaxial reinforcements is to launch a range of biaxial fabrics made using intermediate-modulus (IM) carbon fibre.

Huge potential for carbon fibre-reinforced composites in cars

Glass and other speciality fibres, such as aramids, have been used for many years as reinforcements for composites. Carbon fibre, however, is now very much the focus of the industry, particularly for automotive end-uses, according to Adrian Wilson.

Printed car becomes a reality

1 October 2014

A concept car (Strati) produced by additive manufacturing, also known as three-dimensional (3D) printing, was made using a carbon fibre-reinforced compound, and assembled and driven during the Interna

Growing opportunities for natural fibres in composites

Wherever their sustainable advantages and low cost can be combined with the required performance, there is a compelling case for the use of natural fibres in composites, according to Adrian Wilson.

Strong, high-modulus carbon reinforcements

1 April 2014

Hexcel of Montluel, France, introduced a highmodulus carbon fibre for reinforcing composites during the JEC Europe exhibition, held in Paris, France, on 11-13 March 2014.

Sizing for heavy-tow carbon fibre reinforced thermoplastics

1 April 2014

A sizing specifically developed to make carbon fibre tow compatible with thermoplastic matrices made its debut during the annual JEC Europe exhibition, held in Paris, France, on 11-13 March 2014.

Textiles technology developed for composites manufacturing

1 April 2014

During the JEC Europe exhibition, held in Paris, France, on 11-13 March 2014, researchers from the Institute for Textile Engineering - Institut fur Textiltechnik (ITA) - of RWTH Aachen University in G

Weaving technology produces unique three-dimensional I-beam

1 April 2014

A Swedish company that pioneers three-dimensional (3D) weaving technology claims to have created the first directly manufactured I-beam with fibres orientated at +deg-deg and 0deg/90deg in the web and

Chopped-strand glass fibre to reinforce polypropylene

1 April 2014

A chopped-strand glass fibre developed for reinforcing high-performance polypropylene (PP) was unveiled at the JEC Europe exhibition, held in Paris, France, on 11-13 March 2014.

Ultrathin prepregs

1 March 2014

A process and machinery for making and handling ultrathin unidirectional (UD) prepregs has won a group of Swiss and French partners one of this year's JEC Innovation Awards for developments related to

Formation of reinforcements for wind-turbine blades

1 March 2014

An automated process for laying non-crimp fabric (NCF) together with subsequent forming of the stack to create a reinforcement for the complicated threedimensional (3D) geometry of a wind-turbine blad

Recycling is needed to make the most of a precious resource

On the eve of JEC – which will take place in Paris, France, on 11–13 March 2014 – the Editor of Advanced Composites Bulletin, James Bakewell reviews what is being done to recycle the textile components of carbon fibre-reinforced plastics.

Recycling carbon fibre is no longer simply a burning issue

As the market for carbon fibre-reinforced composites seems poised for spectacular growth in the next decade, close attention is being paid to how best to recover post-use the valuable fibres and fabrics they contain, according to Adrian Wilson.

Issues affecting the greater use of composites in automobiles

1 December 2013

Satish Aparaj and colleagues at India's Textile & Engineering Institute - P.V. Kadole and M.C.

Glass-fibre reinforcement for wind-turbine blades

1 December 2013

A unidirectional glass-fibre reinforcement fabric designed to allow the manufacture of long and lightweight composite blades for wind turbines is the latest innovation from Ahlstrom.

Teijin's fibre-reinforced thermoplastics enable recycling and rapid processing

1 November 2013

Teijin Ltd is now making a range of carbon fibrereinforced thermoplastics (CFRTPs) called Sereebo, which the Tokyo, Japan-based company says it has developed for rapid processing of components and for

Bio-based reinforced thermoplastics for automobile components

1 November 2013

DSM Engineering Plastics of Sittard, The Netherlands, and PlastiComp from Winona, Minnesota, USA, have signed a partnership agreement with the aim of developing long fibre-reinforced thermoplastics (L

Non-crimp fabric behind successful mass-production of composite car roof

1 November 2013

KraussMaffei of Munich, Germany, has demonstrated the real-time mass-production of an automobile's composite roof panel during the K 2013 exhibition in Dusseldorf, Germany (16-23 October 2013).

Spread-tow carbon fabrics for lightweight, cheap reinforcement

1 October 2013

A French company unveiled its latest range of carbon reinforcements during the China Composites Expo, held in Beijing on 11-13 September 2013.

Growing role for nonwovens as composite reinforcements

There has been a notable rise in the number of companies supplying new nonwoven products as the basis for lightweight composite components for the automotive and construction industries, according to Adrian Wilson.

RTP adds cellulose fibre-reinforced polypropylene to its range

1 August 2013

Cellulose fibre extracted from trees grown in sustainably managed forests is being used to reinforce a polypropylene (PP) matrix to create a range of composites suitable for structural applications.

Owens Corning extends ranges of glass fibre reinforcements

1 July 2013

Techtextil (Frankfurt, Germany; 11-13 June 2013) saw the launch of a range of veils, nonwovens and mats made from glass fibre and designed by Owens Corning of Toledo, Ohio, USA, for use as reinforceme

Coated fabrics for reinforcements

1 June 2013

A French company says it has combined its expertise in coating and in engineering textiles for use with composites to create a reinforcement that is impregnated with a flexible thermoplastic.

Jute fibres competitive with glass

1 April 2013

A range of cheap reinforcements made from jute fibre was launched by Composites Evolution during the JEC Composites exhibition, held in Paris, France, 12-14 March 2013.

Carbon fibre-reinforced graphite for lightweight heat treatments

1 March 2013

Strong, stiff graphite that is reinforced with unidirectional carbon fibre is now available under the trade name of Sigrabond Performance from SGL Group of Wiesbaden, Germany.

Cellulose fibre shows its advantages as a reinforcement

1 January 2013

Thermoplastic composites reinforced with sustainably sourced cellulose fibres are being launched by Weyerhaeuser of Federal Way, Washington, USA.

3B roving to reinforce composites for wind-turbine blades

1 December 2012

A major standards body, Germanischer Lloyd (GL) has approved the use of the latest glass fibre from 3B of Battice, Belgium.

European consortium to develop use of thermoplastic composites in cars

1 November 2012

Five Dutch organizations have formed a partnership to advance the use of fibre-reinforced thermoplastic composites in the automobile industry.

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1 May 2024

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Turning up the volume for automotive

Textile technologies can unlock the potential of composites

Carbon fibre and carbon composites set for steady growth

Huge potential for carbon fibre-reinforced composites in cars

Growing opportunities for natural fibres in composites

Recycling is needed to make the most of a precious resource

Recycling carbon fibre is no longer simply a burning issue

Growing role for nonwovens as composite reinforcements