Recycled Carbon Fibre as an Enabler
for Cost Effective Lightweight
Structures
Global Automotive Lightweight Materials
Detroit, 2016
ELG Carbon Fibre Ltd. - Confidential 1
Overview of ELG Carbon Fibre
Established in 2011 when ELG Haniel acquired the operations of Recycled Carbon Fibre Ltd.
Patented process for recovery of carbon fibre from manufacturing waste and end-of-life products, using a modified pyrolysis process. Recovered and converted more than 1000 tonnes of carbon fibre in 2015.
R&D programmes have led to the development of recycled carbon fibre products for the compounding and composites industries.
Goal: to provide affordable, high performance materials to enable weight reduction in the transportation market.
ELG Carbon Fibre Ltd. - Confidential 2
What We Do
Carbon Fibre Reclaiming
Metal removal and cutting of large composite structures to sizes suitable for downstream processing.
Shredding of laminates and prepreg to enable efficient and consistent processing.
Fibre recovery via a modified pyrolysis process.
Carbon Fibre Conversion
Milling.
Nonwoven mat production.
Pellet production.
Product Research and Development
Aligned fibre materials.
Intermediate materials (e.g. SMC)
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Why Recycled Carbon Fibre?
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Affordability
Demand for carbon fibre was estimated
at 79,000 tonnes in 2015 (1).
Almost 24,000 tonnes of this fibre
became waste during conversion and
component manufacturing processes.
Less than 10% of this waste carbon fibre
was recycled—most was consigned to
landfill.
Recovering and converting this carbon to
products for the compounding and
composites industries provides a source
of affordable, high performance
materials.
(1) Global Outlook for Carbon Fibre The Past (2010), the Present (2015), and the Future (2020):Chuck Segal, Managing Director, OMNIA LLC and Chris Red, Principal, Composites Forecasts and Consulting, LLC
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Virgin Fibre Recycled Fibre
Fib
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€/k
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Why Recycled Carbon Fibre?
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Supply Chain Security
Demand for carbon fibre forecast to
grow to 120,000—145,000 tonnes in
2020 (1,2).
25,000 tonnes of this growth expected
to come from automotive applications.
Although with new investment,
nameplate capacity may match
demand, actual capacity is some way
below nameplate and there is a supply
side capacity risk.
Use of recycled carbon fibre products
mitigates this supply side capacity risk.
(1) Global Outlook for Carbon Fibre The Past (2010), the Present (2015), and the Future (2020):Chuck Segal, Managing Director, OMNIA LLC and Chris Red, Principal, Composites Forecasts and Consulting, LLC
Recycling of manufacturing waste can
help fill the potential gap between
carbon fibre supply and demand
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An
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Carbon Fibre Supply and Demand
Production Capacity Demand
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Why Recycled Carbon Fibre?
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Environmental
Responsibility
Carbon fibre production is energy
intensive—30 tonnes CO2eq are
produced for every tonne of carbon fibre
made.
Consigning this material to landfill is not
an environmentally responsible
approach.
Carbon fibre waste can be recovered
and converted to new products using
less than 10% opf the energy required
to produce the original carbon fibre.
Global warming potential comparison prepared by Fraunhofer UMSICHT based on ELG CF 2014 operational data. Further
36% reduction in energy consumption per kg achieved in 2015.
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Fibre Quality
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Fibre mechanical properties measured using single filament testing before and after pyrolysis for classification and quality control purposes.
Reclaimed carbon fibres have similar mechanical properties to the original fibres provided that the reclaiming process is optimised for the type of feedstock being treated.
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Impregnated StrandTensile Modulus
Pre-furnace SingleFilament Tensile
Modulus
Post-furnace SingleFilament Tensile
Modulus
Ten
sile
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GP
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Impregnated StrandTensile Strength
Pre-furnace SingleFilament Tensile
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Strength
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gth
MP
a
Difference in
test method4% reduction in
tensile strength
after pyrolysis
2% reduction in
tensile modulus
after pyrolysis
Based on single filament testing of 1484 fibre batches before and after fibre recovery by pyrolysis.
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Recycled Carbon Fibre in Compounds
Milled, chopped and pelletisedcarbon fibre are ideally used for reinforcing thermoset and thermoplastic compounds.
Mechanical properties match or exceed those that can be achieved with virgin carbon fibre, but at a lower cost.
Lower cost carbon reinforced compounds open the possibility to replacing not only magnesium and aluminium, but also glass fibre.
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Pellets
Milled Fibre
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Mechanical Properties of rCF Compounds
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Flex
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MP
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Reinforcement Content
Flexural Strength of PA66
Glass Recycled Carbon Virgin Carbon
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Reinforcement Content
Tensile Modulus of PA66
Glass Recycled Carbon Virgin Carbon
Recycled carbon fibres give the same mechanical property enhancement as virgin carbon fibres.
10% loading of recycled carbon fibre provides the same mechanical properties as 30% loading of glass fibres.
23% density reduction.
4% material cost increase.
30% to 45% loadings of recycled carbon fibre provide mechanical properties comparable to magnesium castings and aluminium castings.
ELG Carbon Fibre Ltd. - Confidential 9
Performance comparison
30% glass fibre reinforced PA6656.9g
10% rCF reinforced PA6648.7g
15% weight reduction
Higher mechanical properties
With product optimization, 21% weight reduction can be achieved whilst providing the same mechanical
performance without redesigning the parts.
Part cost increase to achieve this weight saving ~2%.
Over 750,000 tonnes of 30% glass reinforced PA66 compounds used for air inlet manifolds and cam covers
each year by the automotive industry—potential for over 150,000 tonnes of weight saving!
ELG Carbon Fibre Ltd. - Confidential 10
Other Polymers
PC/ABS—significant enhancements in strength and stiffness can be achieved.
PP—recycled carbon fibres show improved properties compared to virgin carbon fibres—attributed to better fibre/resin compatibility.
ELG Carbon Fibre Ltd. - Confidential 10
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Ten
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Reinforcement Content
Tensile Strength of PP
Carbiso MF Virgin Carbon Carbiso PEL
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Tensile Strength of PC/ABS Compounds
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Tensile Modulus of PC./ABS Compounds
Unreinforced Carbiso MF Carbiso CT
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Recycled Carbon Fibre in Composites
Nonwoven mats are the basis of the products for composites manufacturing.
These can be either 100% carbon fibre or blends of carbon fibre with thermoplastic fibres.
Carbon fibre products can be used in liquid, prepreg and SMC applications.
Hybrid products can be used in compression mouldingapplications.
ELG Carbon Fibre Ltd. - Confidential 11
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Carbon Fibre Nonwovens
Different processing characteristics and mechanical properties compared to conventional composite materials.
Use has been demonstrated in the main processes considered viable for high volume manufacturing: liquid compression moulding, HP-RTM, prepreg compression moulding, SMC.
First prototype / low volume production projects now underway.
These projects providing a body of test and processing data that can be shared with other projects.
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Mechanical Properties of Nonwovens
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Fibre volume fraction typically in the range of 27% to 40% for compression mouldingprocesses.
Properties dependent on type of feedstock, structure of the nonwoven mat and processing conditions.
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Fibre Volume Fraction
Tensile Strength
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Tensile Modulus
ELG Carbon Fibre Ltd. - Confidential 14
Case Study—iStream Carbon
ELG Carbon Fibre Ltd. - Confidential 14
• Conventional stamped steel chassis: Typically hundreds of stamped metalpanels.
• iStream hybrid structural composite chassis: Simple, low cost steel tubular members.14 composite panels.
iPanels based on recycled carbon fibre cost approximately €30 each, compared to €300 each for panels made from conventional woven fabric prepreg.
iStream photos and information courtesy of Gordon Murray Design Ltd.
What Next?
ELG Carbon Fibre Ltd. - Confidential 15
Current Capacity (Output of Carbon Fibre Products)
Fibre reclaiming: 1,300 tonnes per year
Chopping: 1,500 tonnes per year
Milling: 1,500 tonnes per year
Nonwoven production: 250 tonnes per year
Pilot Capability 2 pilot lines for textile research and development
1 pilot line for pellet production (thermoplastic compounds)
1 pilot line for impregnated products (prepreg and SMC)
Expansion Plans
Germany (operational H2 2018): 2,500 tonnes annual output of reclaimed
fibres, nonwoven and pellet conversion technologies.
US (operational H2 2019): 2,500 tonnes annual output of reclaimed fibres,
nonwoven and pellet conversion technologies.
Both plants designed and built to accommodate expansion to 5,000 tonnes per
annum output.
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Summary
Carbon fibre recycling has been established at an industrial scale.
An initial range of products is now available for the compounding composites manufacturing industries—focus on making lightweight affordable.
QA and QC controls implemented to ensure that the requirements of mass production markets can be met.
ELG CF R&D programmes are providing the data and performance demonstrator necessary to allow designers to use these materials.
ELG CF is gearing up for expansion to support the global automotive industry.
ELG Carbon Fibre Ltd. - Confidential 16