Zoltek Continues to Expand Carbon Fiber Production in Mexico

 Zoltek Companies, Inc., the global leader in industrial-grade carbon fiber, has announced it is expanding its carbon fiber production capacity again at the facility located in Guadalajara, Mexico.

This 6,000 MT expansion in Mexico will start production in early 2023 and will add to the 6,000 MT expansion recently completed in 2021. By expanding operations again in Mexico, Zoltek will increase its North American carbon fiber capacity to 20,000MT.

  Zoltek’s global carbon fiber production capacity will increase to 35,000MT, making it the largest carbon fiber supplier in the world.

Zoltek continues its mission to commercialize carbon fiber and increase its position as the global leader in industrial-grade carbon fiber. 

Zoltek has dedicated 100% of its global capacity to establish the standard for large-scale industrial applications such as wind energy and automotive. “Demand for our industrial-grade carbon fiber in energy and transportation applications continues to grow at a rapid pace,” notes David Purcell, Executive Vice President for Zoltek, “and we are supporting this growth with the 6,000 MT installation in 2021, and again in 2023. 

 More importantly, we have diversified our customer base to create a stronger foundation for future growth”. Zoltek’s PX35 carbon fiber has the largest global capacity, and is the preferred carbon fiber for industrial applications due to its balance of cost competitiveness and delivered performance.

Source:TORAY GROUP

BactiBlock to Exhibit Antimicrobial Additives at Foam Expo 2021

BactiBlock will be present as an exhibitor at the Foam Expo Europe fair, which will take place from November 9 to 11 in Stuttgart.

The BactiBlock team is looking forward to meeting with its current and potential clients again to continue launching new projects and discovering applications.

Application in Various Sectors

BactiBlock additives, in their two technologies (clay base and polyphosphate base), have demonstrated the durability of their antimicrobial properties in different polymers, which have been subjected to accelerated aging treatments by humidity and UV light.

Among many other applications, BactiBlock antimicrobial additives can be applied in various types of polymeric foams, used in innumerable applications. Some of the sectors in which our current clients are applying their foams are the medical sector, the automotive sector, the furniture sector, the production of sports equipment, etc.

Foam Expo Europe is the most important event in the foam industry in Europe, bringing together the main companies in the sector during its celebration. In addition, this year the Adhesives & Bonding Expo 2021 fair will take place at the same time and in the same fairgrounds, which will make Stuttgart one of the main businesses centers in the industrial sector on those days.

Source: BactiBlock

Composites in 1969

 📢It's Story-Time!📢

Let's talk about a pioneer jet engine that used carbon fiber composites in 1969!

During the mid-sixties, both aircraft and engine manufacturers were in the process of updating their products from those of the initial jet era. There were new large aircraft that needed more powerful and economical engines. Three engine manufacturers were looking at these new requirements. General Electric started with its TF-39 (developed into the CF-6), and Pratt and Whitney were developing their JT9D to address the USAF Very Large Transport competition requirements. Ironically, the JT9D and Boeing were the losing designs, however, out of these grew the 747 air-frame and engine combination.

During research into a basic design for the long-term development of the company, Rolls-Royce determined that if they could develop a three spool engine then they would be able to match the air mass flow better to the compressors, provide superior fuel consumption and a much better path to even higher thrust engines. The RB211 was one of a proposed family of these engines. Now while the triple spool design had advantages, it was also over 450kg heavier than the competing engines.

One of the innovations proposed for this engine was the material proposed for the main front fan stage – a new, high strength, lightweight carbon fiber material called Hyfil. The first engine runs were in 1969 and the initial thrust of ~33,000 lb was gradually increased with testing, to ~40,000 lb. In May 1970 however, the massive 33 blade carbon fiber fan failed bird strike tests and Rolls Royce had to switch to using a heavier titanium alloy.

Unfortunately, at the time, composite technology was not ready for such a big leap. Nevertheless, nowadays, the usage of carbon fiber composites blades is increasing considerably!

Source: Article "Rolls Royce RB211 Turbofan Jet Aero Engine", published by the HARS Aviation Museum.

#managingcomposites

My experience with client for Composite CNG Cylinder project

 Take up any project when your soul approves it:

After having a couple of round discussions with a client for 6 months period to start a Type 4 Composite CNG cylinder prototype project in India, finally,

I have decided not to move forward and decline the client proposal for the betterment of the project as it involves me compromising on certain things that I find not feasible to go ahead with.

Likewise, I have met lots of companies in the Asia Pacific and Europe, and MENA regions for this composite CNG/LPG project for the past 15 years and brief them well about the current scenario, and advised many and not been able to successful to start a genuine project yet.

I do not want to compromise on the design, materials, and machinery for this project. Also not intend to play with customers' money for my living. This way, I feel very happy and saved many and avoid many as well in the past decade. I have no regrets at all.

Visit MY BLOG http://polymerguru.blogspot.com

Which countries lead the global production of natural fibers? 👀

Research conducted by UN COMTRADE and InTEXive revealed that in 2018, show that 4 countries (China, Bangladesh, France, and India) are responsible for more than 60% of the global vegetable fibers (excluding cotton) production!

The world's consumption of natural (also known as “vegetable” fibers since they are derived from plants such as hemp and flax) fibers that can be used as a reinforcement for composites totaled $4.3 billion in 2018, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.3% from 2010-2018.

This low growth rate is a strong indicator that the market is not growing as quickly as anticipated, and raises a valid concern: What’s holding NFCs back? In other words, what are the barriers to the adoption of NFCs in the numerous applications of composite materials?

If you to learn more about this topic check out this article by Composites World => https://lnkd.in/eBecgc5c

Arkema to Construct Bio-based Polyamide 11 Powders Plant in China

 Arkema announces the construction of a polyamide 11 powders plant on its Changshu platform in China, scheduled to come on stream in the first quarter of 2023. This investment will further support the growing demand for advanced bio-circular materials in Asia.

Efficient PA11 Powder Production

Rilsan® polyamide 11 powders, currently produced in France entirely from renewable castor beans, are recognized for their superior properties and performance in terms of toughness, durability, lightweight, and processing versatility. They are used in very demanding applications and provide innovative solutions for fast-growing markets driven by megatrends such as durable home appliances, energy-efficient transport, and advanced additive manufacturing (3D printing) primarily for consumer, industrial, and aerospace markets.

Beyond the bio-based nature of the powder, this project will also contribute to Arkema’s ambitious sustainability commitments by using highly efficient manufacturing processes and by being physically closer to the new amino 11 plant in Singapore.

“We are very excited about this expansion. It is strong and growing demand in Asia across all of our key powders markets and this added capacity will enable us to supply the region from within the region,” Erwoan Pezron, senior vice president, high-performance polymers.

This expansion goes hand in hand with the Group’s major polyamide 11 plant currently under construction in Singapore, which is on track to start production in mid-2022, and is included in the €450 million exceptional capital expenditure envelope dedicated to polyamide expansion in Asia.

Source: Arkema

New Antibacterial Polymeric Nanofiber Material for Wound Dressing

 Researchers have developed a novel antibacterial material combining nonwoven nanotextile and unique compounds with antibacterial properties. Called NANO-LPPO, the new material can fulfill a wide range of applications as a dressing for wounds, such as burn injuries, by preventing infection and thus facilitating treatment and healing.

Promising Substance Lipophosphonoxins

Because the number of bacterial strains resistant to common antibiotics is steadily increasing, there is a growing need for new substances with antibacterial properties. A very promising class of substances are the so-called lipophosphonoxins (LPPO) developed by the team of Dominik Rejman of IOCB Prague in collaboration with Libor Krásný of the Institute of Microbiology of the CAS.

“Lipophosphonoxins hold considerable promise as a new generation of antibiotics. They don’t have to penetrate the bacteria but instead act on the surface, where they disrupt the bacterial cell membrane. That makes them very efficient at destroying bacteria,” says Rejman.

“A big advantage of LPPO is the limited ability of bacteria to develop resistance to them. In an experiment lasting several weeks, we failed to find a bacteria resistant to these substances, while resistance to well-known antibiotics developed relatively easily,” explains Krásný.

The potential of LPPO is especially evident in situations requiring immediate targeted intervention, such as skin infections. Here, however, the substances must be combined with a suitable material that ensures their topical efficacy without the need to enter the circulatory system. This reduces the burden to the body and facilitates use.

Suitable Material with Topical Efficacy

One such suitable material is a polymer nanofiber developed by the team of David Lukáš of the Faculty of science, humanities and education at the Technical University of Liberec. The researchers combined it with LPPO to prepare a new type of dressing material for bacteria-infected skin wounds. The material’s main benefit is that the antibacterial LPPO are released from it gradually and in relation to the presence and extent of infection.

“Enzymes decompose the nanomaterial into harmless molecules. The LPPO are an integral component of the material and are primarily released from it during this decomposition. Moreover, the process is greatly accelerated by the presence of bacteria, which produce lytic enzymes. This means that the more bacteria there are in the wound, the faster the material decomposes, which in turn releases more of the active substances into the affected site to promote healing and regeneration of soft tissues,” says Rejman in describing the action of the material.

“Our experiments on mice confirmed the ability of NANO-LPPO to prevent infection in the wound and thus accelerate healing and regeneration. There was practically no spread of infection where we used the material. If clinical trials go well, this could be a breakthrough in the treatment of burns and other serious injuries where infection poses an acute threat and complication to treatment,” explains wound care specialist Peter Gál of the Department of Burns Medicine at Charles University’s Third Faculty of Medicine, the Faculty of Medicine at P. J. Šafárik University in Košice, and the East Slovak Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases.

In terms of applications, NANO-LPPO is an interesting material for manufacturers of medicinal products and medical devices. Its commercialization is being coordinated through a collaborative effort between IOCB TECH, a subsidiary of IOCB Prague, and Charles University Innovations Prague, a subsidiary of Charles University, both of which were created for the purpose of transferring results of academic research to practice. The companies are currently seeking a suitable commercial partner.

Source: IOCB Prague