Conversion of recycled carbon fibre composites into second life products’ will be a key theme at the forthcoming Nonwovens for High Performance Applications conference (NHPA 2017) that takes place in Prague on March 7 and 8. In the last year, ELG Carbon Fibre began manufacturing a range of nonwoven mats on a new production line at its plant in Coseley, UK.
The line, has been custom built to produce a variety of nonwoven materials, including 100 per cent recycled carbon fibre mats and thermoplastic blends such as carbon fibre mixed with PP, PA, PPS fibres. The machine is unique in being able to use reclaimed carbon fibres that have been obtained through pyrolysis of scrap prepreg materials or cured laminates, providing important feedstock flexibility compared to existing equipment available in the marketplace which can only accept dry manufacturing waste.
The obstacles the company has overcome in creating its new Carbiso M and Carbiso TM materials will be highlighted and the major opportunites offered by recycled carbon products will be discussed. ELG believes its range of materials will strongly appeal to OEMs in the transportation sector seeking cost effective options for lightweighting with its another key theme the conference.
In a keynote address at the Prague conference, Michael Effing, President of Composites Germany would talk about the current and future opportunities for nonwovens and other technical textile reinforcements in the fast-moving environment that is Europe’s composites industry. In the second keynote, sales director for industrial nonwovens at Tenowo Detlev, Käppel will explain how his company has transformed itself from a traditional German textiles company into a 21st Century leader in engineered nonwovens – most notably in lightweight components for the automotive sector.
In charting the company’s progress, the parallel expansion of a product portfolio of highly-engineered nonwovens and technical textiles will be detailed and lessons learned along the way shared. Tenowo has constantly expanded and now has major manufacturing plants in the USA, India and China as well as in Germany.
