CFRP, a composite material that contains carbon fibre, which is about four times lighter than steel yet 10 times stronger, is widely used in the aerospace, automotive, shipbuilding, and sports equipment industries. Structurally, CFRP is made up of carbon fibre and epoxy resin, which serve functions in this composite material similar to the respective roles that reinforcing rods and cement play in concrete structures. To achieve mechanical rigidity, the binding of carbon fibre and epoxy resin in CFRP must be strong. Moreover, CFRP must be fire-safe, as it is used for purposes closely related to everyday life, e.g., use as a construction material. To induce these traits in CFRP, sometimes it is synthesized with additives.

Due to its susceptibility to heat, CFRP had been made fire-safe by adding a halogen flame-retardant. However, the use of halogen in CFRP was banned worldwide, because it generates toxic substances when incinerated for recycling. As such, the task at hand was to make CFRP flame-retardant with the use of non-toxic, safe material.

We have created a composite material with an expanded range of application that is a dramatic improvement over conventional carbon fibre-reinforced plastic in terms of flame-retardancy, mechanical rigidity, and recyclability.

Head researcher Dr. Jung

Jung Yong-chae, head researcher at KIST’s Institute of Advanced Composite Materials, sought to improve the mechanical rigidity and flame-retardance of CFRP with tannic acid, an eco-friendly substance. Tannic acid characteristically bonds strongly with carbon fibre. It also turns into charcoal when burned. Charred tannic acid functions as a barrier that blocks the inflow of external oxygen. By manufacturing epoxy resin from tannic acid and mixing it into carbon fibre, the KIST research team successfully developed a CFRP that is strong and flame-retardant.

Unlike conventional epoxy resin that is vulnerable to heat, epoxy resin made from tannic acid is flame-retardant and needs no additives. This means that the toxic substances generated when incinerating CFRP for recycling would no longer be a problem. Also, because conventional CFRP when burned decreased the performance of its epoxy resin, precluding complete recycling, the research team came up with a new recycling method.

By dissolving CFRP in water in a supercritical fluid state—i.e., temperature and pressure over a set level—over 99% of the CFRP could be recovered without reduced carbon fibre performance. It was also found that epoxy resin when dissolved produced a substance called “carbon dots,” which can be used as an electronic material (Optronics, Sensing, Bioimaging etc.). Unlike the method of recycling by incineration, which burns up epoxy resin leaving only the incomplete carbon fibre to be recycled, this new method of recycling enables the recycling of all components of a composite material.

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The new agreement outlined at an event at the current carbon fibre plant will see Hyosung expand its annual production capacity from the current 2,000 tons (1 line) to 24,000 tons (10 lines). This would be the largest capacity of a single plant in the world. With the first expansion underway, the company plans to complete a carbon fibre plant with an annual capacity of 2,000 tons in January 2020 and begin full-scale production in February.

When the project is completed the company claim their global market share will rise from 11th (2 %) as of 2019 to 3rd (10 %) in the world. Employment is also expected to increase significantly from the current 400 to more than 2,300 new jobs by 2028.

We took note of the future value of carbon fibre and started to develop our own technology. The potential for the upstream industry of carbon fibre is limitless. As the hydrogen economy has opened a new market of carbon fibre, we will play a pivotal role in making Korea a material powerhouse. Hyun-Joon Cho, Chairman of Hyosung

The event included an “agreement ceremony for facility expansion and investment support” between Hyosung and the government and local municipalities, including Jeollabuk-do and Jeonju and  an “alliance MOU ceremony” aimed at strengthening cooperation including joint testing between the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Hyosung, and relevant companies, such as Iljin Materials, and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI).

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Samsung Petrochemical and SGL Group will each hold a 50% share. The primary objective of the cooperation is to develop new industrial and electronic applications with carbon composite materials for Samsung and the Korean market. The joint venture will operate under the name “Samsung SGL Carbon Composite Materials”.

The cooperation is expected to provide a long-term supply of carbon fibre materials for Samsung and promote its use in various Samsung products and applications such as consumer electronics, medical devices and engineering applications. Carbon fibre materials from SGL Group will be preferred by the Joint Venture. In the mid-term, the joint venture will aim for business expansion over the rest of Asia.

Juergen Koehler, member of the Board of Management of SGL Group said;

In this partnership with Samsung, we combine our strengths and promote the use of carbon fiber materials in fast growing markets such as digital media. Carbon fibre materials play an increasingly important role in the material substitution process towards lighter products. Our joint venture underlines our strategy to enter new markets and develop innovative applications for our high-performance materials. We are proud to partner with Samsung.

Both companies will combine their core competencies in this marketing & sales joint venture. SGL Group contributes its know-how in high performance carbon fibre-based materials. Samsung Petrochemical shares its experiences from particular application development with the Samsung’s affiliates, which is expected to allow the company to successfully meet the requirements of new industrial products and solutions.

The joint venture will be headquartered in Ulsan/South Korea, at a Samsung Petrochemical facility with the sales and marketing located in Seoul. Following the signing of the joint venture contract the closing of the transaction is scheduled for July, pending regulatory approvals, operations are set to begin immediately thereafter.

The joint venture targets applications in the markets for electronic products, wind blades, pressure vessels, automotive and household appliances in the Far East. The Asian carbon fibre market is expected to be sharply growing in Korea and China by over 20% per year. Currently the Korean market focuses on prepreg and sportive goods. In the future though, the market is to be expanded to a wider range of industries like wind energy, electronics, automotives and others.

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The company developed the polyacrylonitrile based carbon fibre in 2009 and has commenced construction for the high-end material in the Ulsan industrial complex on the southeastern coast of the country.

The plant will start operations in March 2012 with an annual capacity of 1,500 tons of carbon fibres and 3,000 tons of precursors, the key basic building material for polyacrylonitrile based carbon fibre.

Taekwang Industrial has injected 150 billion won (US$129.4 million) into the development and the plant.

South Korea currently imports the 2,400 tons of carbon fibre from companies in Japan and the United States however Taekwang Industrial are expected to replace imported carbon fibre in the local market.

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[source: gnu]

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