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Professor Dr Thomas Gries with the award winner Flávio André Marter Diniz Hanns-Voith-Stiftung, Oliver Voge
Professor Dr Thomas Gries with the award winner Flávio André Marter Diniz
11.07.2023

Future cost reduction through ultra-thin PE carbon fibres

  • ITA Master's graduate wins Hanns Voith Foundation Award 2023

In his Master's thesis, Flávio André Marter Diniz, a graduate of the Institut für Textiltechnik of RWTH Aachen University (ITA), developed ultra-thin polyethylene (PE) carbon fibres with a filament diameter 2-3 times smaller than usual. In addition, the use of PE-based precursors will make it possible to reduce the price of carbon fibres by 50 per cent in the future, thus opening up a wide range of other possible applications in key industries such as wind power, aerospace and automotive. For this groundbreaking development, Marter Diniz was awarded the Hanns Voith Prize with the Hanns Voith Foundation Award in the category "New Materials". The prize is endowed with € 5,000 in prize money.

Flávio André Marter Diniz won the prize in the category "New Materials" for his master thesis entitled "Investigation of the stabilisation and carbonisation process for the production of ultra-thin polyethylene-based carbon fibres".

  • ITA Master's graduate wins Hanns Voith Foundation Award 2023

In his Master's thesis, Flávio André Marter Diniz, a graduate of the Institut für Textiltechnik of RWTH Aachen University (ITA), developed ultra-thin polyethylene (PE) carbon fibres with a filament diameter 2-3 times smaller than usual. In addition, the use of PE-based precursors will make it possible to reduce the price of carbon fibres by 50 per cent in the future, thus opening up a wide range of other possible applications in key industries such as wind power, aerospace and automotive. For this groundbreaking development, Marter Diniz was awarded the Hanns Voith Prize with the Hanns Voith Foundation Award in the category "New Materials". The prize is endowed with € 5,000 in prize money.

Flávio André Marter Diniz won the prize in the category "New Materials" for his master thesis entitled "Investigation of the stabilisation and carbonisation process for the production of ultra-thin polyethylene-based carbon fibres".

The use of carbon fibres in highly stressed lightweight construction solutions, such as today's growth applications of wind turbines or pressure tanks, has become indispensable due to their excellent mechanical properties and low density. High manufacturing costs of conventional PAN precursor-based carbon fibres make the material very cost-intensive. In addition, it is not sufficiently available. New manufacturing approaches that develop alternative raw materials and manufacturing processes can be a key and growth engine for further industrial composites applications.

The aim of the work was to develop a new and cost-effective manufacturing process for high-quality ultra-thin carbon fibres using a polyethylene precursor. For this purpose, the sulphonisation process, which is time-consuming today, was to be significantly shortened. As a result, Mr. Marter Diniz produced novel ultra-thin polyethylenebased carbon fibres with a filament diameter < 3 μm with an excellent surface quality of the fibres without detectable structural defects. The fibre diameter is 2-3 times smaller than that of conventional PANbased CF. This provides the basis for mechanically high-quality material properties. At the same time, Mr. Marter Diniz was able to reduce the sulphonisation time by 25 percent. The developed material and technology set important milestones on the way to cheaper carbon fibres. With PE-based precursors, the price of CF can be reduced by 50 percent compared to conventional PAN-based CF.  

A total of five other young scientists were awarded in six categories (Drive Technology, Innovation & Technology/Artificial Intelligence, New Materials, Paper, Hydropower and Economic Sciences. This year, for the 10th time, the Hanns Voith Foundation awarded the Hanns Voith Prize to outstanding young scientists.

Source:

ITA Institut für Textiltechnik of RWTH Aachen University

Photo: JEC Group
26.04.2022

The Winners of the 2022 JEC Composites Innovation Awards

Each year, since its creation more than 20 years ago, the JEC Composites Innovation Awards celebrate successful projects and cooperation between players of the composites industry. The competition has especially shined a light on some 203 companies and 499 partners, awarding them for the excellence of their composite innovations.

The ceremony took place on April 26th in Paris. Highlighted by the presence of jury members, finalists and winners but most importantly, as it was livestreamed, the gathering of many people all around the world to watch the awaited results.

The enthusiasm for the Innovation Awards, exactly 7 days prior to JEC World, is a good sign of the industry’s eagerness to get back together and ensure the future of composites innovation.

Each year, since its creation more than 20 years ago, the JEC Composites Innovation Awards celebrate successful projects and cooperation between players of the composites industry. The competition has especially shined a light on some 203 companies and 499 partners, awarding them for the excellence of their composite innovations.

The ceremony took place on April 26th in Paris. Highlighted by the presence of jury members, finalists and winners but most importantly, as it was livestreamed, the gathering of many people all around the world to watch the awaited results.

The enthusiasm for the Innovation Awards, exactly 7 days prior to JEC World, is a good sign of the industry’s eagerness to get back together and ensure the future of composites innovation.

  • Aerospace Application
    Diab (Sweden): 100% thermoplastic panel for cabin interiors
  • Aerospace – Process
    MTorres Disenos Industriales S.A.U. (Spain): Innovative Infusion Airframe Manufacturing System
  • Automotive & road transportation – Structural
    Jaguar Land Rover Limited (UK): TUCANA
  • Automotive & road transportation – Surfaces
    AUDI AG (Germany): Seamless Integration of Flexible Solar Film in FRP
  • Building & Civil Engineering
    Windesheim (Netherlands): Structural Re-Use of Thermoset Composites
  • Design, Furniture and Home
    Kairos (France): Kairlin®, a new recyclable & compostable material
  • Equipment and Machinery
    Fibraworks GmbH (Germany): Winding the future – fibraforce technology
  • Maritime Transportation & Shipbuilding
    Voith Composites SE & Co. KG (Germany): Marine Rotor Blades made of Voith ‘Carbon4Stack’
  • Renewable Energy
    Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (Denmark): RecyclableBlade
  • Sports, Leisure & Recreation
    Bcomp Ltd. (Switzerland): Eco-joint from thermoset race and thermoplast road
Source:

JEC Group