According to Reuters, BMW ag (BMW) and Carbon fiber manufacturers SGL Carbon (SGL) plans to invest more than 100 million euros, to produce Carbon fiber production increased from 3000 tons a year to 3000 tons, the investment will make BMW and SGL Carbon fiber production in Germany, the United States of the two countries, to meet the growing BMW I series electric car market demand, and at the same time the application in the BMW 7 series is expected to be listed on the stock market by the end of next car, in order to reduce the new BMW vehicle weight and reduce the emissions of Carbon dioxide.Analysts pointed out that because of the global car companies, especially luxury automakers are bullish on carbon fiber car, is expected to become the next 3-5 years carbon fiber rapid development stage, the related industrial chain manufacturer's profits.
Carbon fiber materials can make the car fuel efficiency at least raise 4 into
Data show that carbon fiber is a kind of carbon content in more than 95% of the high strength and high modulus fibers of new fiber materials.Compared with steel, the strength of up to 10 times, and the weight is only one quarter.As sintering with resin and composite industrial materials, the current tends to be used in the aircraft fuselage.The personage inside course of study points out, if the material is used for cars, fuel efficiency will increase at least 4, and for its greatly reduce the automobile weight, can effectively reduce carbon dioxide emissions, is a rare new environmental protection material.
Normally, the body weight of consumes around 70% of the fuel, thus reduce automobile fuel consumption of the primary problem is to reduce vehicle weight.Carbon fiber manufacture association, Japan has made a life cycle test of carbon fibre, carbon fibre reinforced car because of its weight reduction, not only greatly improve fuel efficiency, and indirectly reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Car companies strive to use carbon fiber materials for production
SGL Carbon is one of the world's largest producer of Carbon and graphite products, has an important strategic position in the field of automobile spare parts supply, the company in Seattle in the United States has a joint venture production of Carbon fiber.In November 2011, BMW after its rival Volkswagen takeover SGL Carbon 8.18% stake, announced purchase SGL Carbon15.16 % of the company, after less than a month of time, again BMW overweight SGL Carbon15.7 % of the shares.
In December 2012, BMW has announced together with the United States to Boeing to develop carbon fiber technology, is used to separate the automobile and aviation manufacturing industry.In November 2013, the United States businessweek reports that BMW in Washington state in the United States has invested $100 million for the production of the company electric carbon fiber material.The report shows that BMW's investment in the production of carbon fiber material not only can reduce the BMW electric vehicle weight, and can achieve a charge mileage can run farther than in the past.Data shows that BMW i3 listed in November last year has attracted more than 11000 orders, and in the middle of this year will launch the i8 plug-in hybrid sports car of the first order has been sold out.
Currently, the gm is to use carbon fiber for production car.According to the institute of toray business statistics, carbon fiber global market demand in 2011 about 40000 tons, which is used for car carbon fiber is 2000 tons.And this number will continue to expand, since around 2015 will reach tens of thousands of tons in the 2020 s.
Swedish Volvo has been successfully developed based on the S80 create a prototype of new battery materials.The battery material is made up of layers of carbon fiber and polymer resin, every sandwich and nano structure of batteries and capacitors.Replace the engine cover with super capacitor plate and the combination of the torsion bar, so that the Volvo engineers will be able to replace for automotive electronic power supply 12 v battery, the weight at the same time in half.At present, Volvo has been back on the hood of the car body and try to use the new carbon fiber cell box cover material, compared with traditional electric cars, not only reduce the weight of the battery, but also enhanced carbon fiber body rigidity.
Markets in Asia, Japan toray, Toyota and the university of Tokyo has teamed up to develop a comprehensive use of light weight, high strength carbon fiber car, promote processing technology research, as early as in 2020, is expected to weight 6 into the new energy vehicles, security, higher will be fully into practical application.According to the nikkei report, Japan toray group in September to spend nearly 70 billion yen, the acquisition of the world's carbon fiber the drow teck companies in the United States (Zoltek), toray through which had become the world's largest carbon fiber supplier, the products increased to 30% of the global share, continue to ensure that the dominant market share.
Carbon fiber material application prospect in the car can be stage at present, the biggest drawback is relatively expensive carbon fiber, several times to dozens times that of iron, so low penetration.Toray through acquisitions Zoltek to exploit cheap carbon fiber field.Under the guidance of Japan toray, the world's second largest carbon fiber manufacturers emperor of Japan and the fourth largest manufacturer Japan mitsubishi has also begun to expand capacity, the personage inside course of study thinks, in the next five years, Japanese companies is expected to further expand the advantage in the field of carbon materials.At present, Japan's mitsubishi also plans to add 2014 U.S. factory equipment, annual production capacity of the existing of about 10000 tons of increased by 20%, on the basis of expanding supply will be as a major customer oriented BMW.While teijin with general motors in the use of carbon fiber technology for cooperation, and in 2014 is expected to a new factory in the United States, and for production car supply of carbon fiber.
The personage inside course of study analysis, points out the prospects of carbon fiber composites used in automobile period, vehicle demand is expected to significantly increased, especially in luxury cars and luxury vehicles segment of the market.At present, many OEM factory not only cooperate with tier one suppliers, also with carbon fiber manufacturers cooperation in order to produce the available components.Such as Johnson controls with evonik, Jacob plastics (Jacob's Plastic) and the Toho Turner's (Toho Tenax) joint research and development of carbon fiber reinforced Plastic (CFRP) lightweight materials;Royal Dutch haze card lawn (TenCate) reached a long-term supply agreement with Japan toray;Toray with Daimler (Daimler) to reach an agreement on joint research and development for the research and development of the Mercedes - Benz CFRP components.Because demand increases, the carbon fiber manufacturers are stepping up research and development, the carbon fiber composite materials production technology or there will be a new breakthrough in the near future.