Chemical giant BASF SE and Germany-based carbon company SGL Group have announced that they have concluded joint research of a new composite material system which aims at enhancing the cost-effectiveness of manufacturing thermoplastic carbon-fiber composites which combines carbon fiber with nylon.
BASF said in a March 9 news release that a carbon-fiber surface specially designed for the matrix system and combined with tailored thermoplastic reactive systems so lightweight structural components for industries such as the automotive industry can be manufactured easily and quickly.
The study looked at processing through thermoplastic resin transfer molding and reaction injection molding.
A BASF spokesperson, Ulla Biernat, told European Plastics News that BASF will not disclose its investment in the project but that: “Both companies will work together to transfer the concluded material research into specific applications for customers in the automotive industry.”
The companies also used BASF's Ultrasim simulation software to aid in part design and optimization.
"The interaction of all components is of central importance for innovative composites based on reactive polyamide,” said Tilo Hauke, head of research at SGL Group. “With its extensive material knowhow, SGL Group brought a range of tailored solutions for sizings and fiber processing to this collaborative project."
This development is a significant step in the collaboration between SGL Group and BASF which was launched in October 2012.
