Recycled Carbon Fibre as an Enabler for Cost Effective ... · (1) Global Outlook for Carbon Fibre...

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.


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)



Why Recycled Carbon Fibre?


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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Virgin Fibre Fabric Recycled Fibre Fabric

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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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2016 2020

An

nu

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eman

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Carbon Fibre Supply and Demand

Production Capacity Demand




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.


Fibre Quality


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

Mo

du

lus

GP

a

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Impregnated StrandTensile Strength

Pre-furnace SingleFilament Tensile

Strength

Post-furnace SingleFilament Tensile

Strength

Ten

sile

Str

en

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.


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.


Pellets

Milled Fibre


Mechanical Properties of rCF Compounds


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ura

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gth

MP

a

Reinforcement Content

Flexural Strength of PA66

Glass Recycled Carbon Virgin Carbon

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Ten

sile

Mo

du

lus

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a


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.


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!


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.


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0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

Ten

sile

Str

engt

h -

MP

a


Tensile Strength of PP

Carbiso MF Virgin Carbon Carbiso PEL

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Tensile Strength of PC/ABS Compounds

Unreinforced Carbiso MF Carbiso CT

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Ten

sile

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du

lus

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Tensile Modulus of PC./ABS Compounds

Unreinforced Carbiso MF Carbiso CT


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.



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.



Mechanical Properties of Nonwovens


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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Ten

sile

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engt

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Pa

Fibre Volume Fraction

Tensile Strength

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Fibre Volume Fraction

Tensile Modulus


Case Study—iStream Carbon


• 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?


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.


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.


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