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 Low Priced Carbon Fibers to open new markets for composites |
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The global market for fiber reinforcement material in 2005 was pegged at about 140,000 tpa. The fiber reinforcing material consists of carbon, aramid, high modulus polyethylene, boron, R/S/T-glass and some E-glass. The apparent value of this business is about US$1 billion. The average growth over the next five years is projected to be more than 5%, and demand is estimated to reach 180,000 tpa by 2010. However, the business value will grow to US$1.2 billion. The reason for the disparity between volume and price is due to the fact that the price of carbon fiber will continue to fall during this period. Heavy tow carbon fiber is likely to fall by about 20% in the next 2 years, which could drive the mass use of advanced composites in large-scale markets such as infrastructure.
Major highlights of future developments are:
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Thermoplastic material now accounts for almost a third of the volume of advanced composites, growing at more than twice the rate of thermoset. |
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The global market for carbon fiber has more than doubled since 1998. |
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Demand for products incorporating aramid and high modular polyethylene fiber is growing rapidly, especially in anti-ballistics composites used to protect personnel, vehicles and cockpit doors. |
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The market for carbon-carbon composites is rather small. Aircraft brakes is the main area of application, with almost 65% share of the market by volume. |
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Advanced composite, particularly carbon fiber based composite, continues to extend its penetration into the airframe structures market. Both major airframe builders (Boeing and Airbus) maintain very positive forecasts for new aircraft requirements over the next 15 to 20 years |
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In the automotive sector, reinforced thermoplastics in all forms continue to make in roads, but mass commercialization of carbon fiber sheet moulding compounds (SMCs) is still nascent and small. However, there are current or potential applications for advanced composite in body structure for super cars, fuel cells, fuel tanks and several other niche uses. |
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Renewable energy markets, particularly wind energy, offer considerable growth potential for advanced composites based on both glass fiber and carbon fiber type. |
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Industrial applications are forecast to take an increasing share of the advanced composite market. |
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The pace of progress in sports and leisure applications at one time a very buoyant sector has slowed down and future growth perspective seems relatively flat. |
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