Common Reinforcement Materials?

Fold Reinforcement Materials

The reinforcement materials mainly used in resin-based composites include glass fiber, carbon fiber , aramid fiber, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber, etc.

Fold Glass Fiber

Currently, the glass fibers used for high-performance composites mainly include high-strength glass fiber, quartz glass fiber, and high-silica glass fiber. Due to the cost-effectiveness of high-strength glass fiber, its growth rate is also relatively fast, with an annual growth rate exceeding 10%. High-strength glass fiber composites are not only used in military applications but have also been widely applied in civilian products in recent years, such as bulletproof helmets, bulletproof vests, helicopter wings, early warning aircraft radar covers, various high-pressure pressure vessels, civilian aircraft flat panels, sports goods, various high-temperature resistant products, and recently reported high-performance tire cords. Quartz glass fiber and high-silica glass fiber are high-temperature resistant glass fibers and are ideal heat-resistant and fireproof materials. When used to reinforce phenolic resin, they can produce various structural composite parts that are heat-resistant and ablation-resistant, widely used in rocket and missile thermal protection materials. To date, among the three major reinforcement fibers used in high-performance resin-based composites in China—carbon fiber, aramid fiber, and high-strength glass fiber—only high-strength glass fiber has reached the international advanced level, possesses independent intellectual property rights, and has formed a small-scale industry with an annual output of up to 500 tons at the current stage.

Fold carbon fiber

Carbon fiber has a series of properties such as high strength, high modulus, high temperature resistance, and electrical conductivity. It was first widely used in the aerospace field and has recently been widely adopted in sports equipment and sporting goods. It is predicted that civil engineering, transportation, automotive, energy, and other fields will extensively use industrial-grade carbon fiber. Between 1997 and 2000, the annual growth rate of aerospace carbon fiber was estimated at 31%, while the annual growth rate of industrial carbon fiber was expected to reach 130%. The overall level of carbon fiber in China is still relatively low, equivalent to the mid-to-late 1970s level abroad, with a gap of about 20 years compared to foreign countries. The main problems of domestically produced carbon fiber are unstable performance and large dispersion coefficient, lack of high-performance carbon fiber, single variety, incomplete specifications, insufficient continuous length, no surface treatment, and relatively high price. If you want to learn more about carbon fiber composites, we have also published many articles about carbon fiber in the past, which you can check out.

Fold Aramid Fiber

Since the 1980s, the Netherlands, Japan, and the former Soviet Union have successively carried out research and development of aramid fiber. Aramid fibers from Japan and Russia have entered the market, with an annual growth rate of about 20%. Aramid fiber has high specific strength and specific modulus, so it is widely used in high-performance composite parts in aerospace (such as rocket engine casings, aircraft engine nacelles, fairings, rudders, etc.), ships (such as aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines, yachts, lifeboats, etc.), automobiles (such as tire cords, high-pressure hoses, friction materials, high-pressure gas cylinders, etc.), as well as heat-resistant conveyor belts and sports equipment.

Fold Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene Fiber

Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber ranks first in specific strength among various fibers, especially with excellent resistance to chemical reagent corrosion and aging. It also has excellent high-frequency sonar permeability and seawater corrosion resistance. Many countries have used it to manufacture high-frequency sonar domes for ships, greatly improving their mine detection and sweeping capabilities. Besides military applications, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber also has broad application prospects in automotive manufacturing, shipbuilding, medical devices, and sports equipment. Since its introduction, this fiber has attracted great interest and attention from developed countries worldwide.

Fold Thermosetting Resin-Based Composites

Thermosetting resin-based composites refer to composites made with thermosetting resins such as unsaturated polyester resin , epoxy resin, phenolic resin, vinyl ester resin, etc. as the matrix, and reinforced with glass fiber, carbon fiber, aramid fiber, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber, and other reinforcement materials. Epoxy resin is characterized by excellent chemical stability, electrical insulation, corrosion resistance, good adhesion, and high mechanical strength, widely used in chemical, light industry, machinery, electronics, water conservancy, transportation, automotive, home appliances, aerospace, and other fields. In 1993, the global epoxy resin production capacity was 1.3 million tons, increasing to 1.43 million tons in 1996, 1.48 million tons in 1997, 1.5 million tons in 1999, and about 1.8 million tons in 2003. China began researching epoxy resin in 1975. According to incomplete statistics, there are currently more than 170 epoxy resin production enterprises in China, with a total production capacity of over 500,000 tons and an equipment utilization rate of about 80%. Phenolic resin has characteristics such as heat resistance, abrasion resistance, high mechanical strength, excellent electrical insulation, low smoke emission, and excellent acid resistance, thus widely used in various fields of the composite materials industry. In 1997, the global phenolic resin output was 3 million tons, with the United States producing 1.64 million tons. China's output was 180,000 tons, with imports of 40,000 tons. Vinyl ester resin is a new type of thermosetting resin developed in the 1960s, characterized by good corrosion resistance, solvent resistance, high mechanical strength, high elongation, good adhesion to metals, plastics, concrete, good fatigue resistance, excellent electrical properties, heat aging resistance, low curing shrinkage, and can cure at room temperature or with heat. Nanjing Jinling DSM Resin Co., Ltd. introduced the Dutch Atlac series of highly corrosion-resistant vinyl ester resins, widely used in storage tanks, containers, pipelines, etc., with some varieties also used for waterproofing and hot pressing molding. Manufacturers such as Nanjing Julong Composite Materials Co., Ltd., Shanghai Xinhua Resin Factory, and Nantong Mingjia Polymer Co., Ltd. also produce vinyl ester resin.

Before 1971, China's thermosetting resin-based composite materials industry was mainly military products, shifting to civilian use after the 1970s. Since 1987, many advanced foreign technologies have been introduced locally, such as pool kiln filament drawing, chopped mat, surface mat production lines, and various grades of polyester resins (from the US, Germany, Netherlands, UK, Italy, Japan) and epoxy resin (Japan, Germany) production technologies; in molding processes, winding pipe and tank production lines, pultrusion process production lines, SMC production lines, continuous panel machines, resin transfer molding (RTM) machines, spray molding technology, resin injection molding technology, and fishing rod production lines have been introduced, forming a complete industrial system from research, design, production to raw material support. By the end of 2000, there were more than 3,000 thermosetting resin-based composite material manufacturers in China, with 51 certified by ISO9000 quality system, over 3,000 product varieties, and a total output of 730,000 tons per year, ranking second in the world. Products are mainly used in construction, anti-corrosion, light industry, transportation, shipbuilding, and other industrial fields. In construction, there are interior and exterior wall panels, transparent tiles, cooling towers, air conditioning covers, fans, fiberglass water tanks, sanitary ware, purification tanks, etc.; in petrochemical industry, mainly used for pipelines and storage tanks; in transportation, automotive parts include body, hood, bumper, etc., trains have carriage panels, doors, windows, seats, etc., boats mainly include hovercraft, lifeboats, reconnaissance boats, fishing boats, etc.; in machinery and electrical fields, products such as roof fans, axial fans, cable trays, insulating rods, integrated circuit boards have considerable scale; in aerospace and military fields, breakthroughs have been made in light aircraft, tail fins, satellite antennas, rocket nozzles, bulletproof panels, bulletproof vests, torpedoes, etc.

Fold Thermoplastic Resin-Based Composites

PVD Composites

Thermoplastic resin-based composites developed in the 1980s mainly include long fiber reinforced pellets (LFP), continuous fiber reinforced prepreg tape (MITT), and glass fiber mat reinforced thermoplastic composites (GMT). Depending on usage requirements, resin matrices mainly include thermoplastic engineering plastics such as PP, PE, PA, PBT, PEI, PC, PES, PEEK, PI, PAI, etc. Fiber types include glass fiber, carbon fiber, aramid fiber, boron fiber, and all possible fiber varieties. With the continuous maturity of thermoplastic resin-based composite technology and the advantage of recyclability, this type of composite material has developed rapidly. In developed countries in Europe and America, thermoplastic resin-based composites already account for more than 30% of the total resin-based composites.

High-performance thermoplastic resin-based composites are mostly injection molded parts, with PP and PA as the main matrices. Products include pipes (elbows, tees, flanges), valves, impellers, bearings, electrical and automotive parts, extruded pipes, GMT molded products (such as Jeep seat brackets), car pedals, seats, etc. Glass fiber reinforced polypropylene applications in automobiles include ventilation and heating systems, air filter housings, transmission covers, seat frames, mudguard gaskets, drive belt guards, etc.

Talc-filled PP has high rigidity, high strength, excellent heat aging resistance, and cold resistance. Talc-reinforced PP has important applications in automotive interior decoration, such as ventilation system components, dashboards, and automatic brake control levers. For example, the US HPM company uses 20% talc-filled PP to make honeycomb-structured sound-absorbing ceilings and car window regulator rope drum housings.

India Develops Composite Material Armed Helicopter

Mica composites have characteristics of high rigidity, high heat distortion temperature, low shrinkage, low flexural property, dimensional stability, low density, and low cost. Mica/polypropylene composites can be used to make automotive dashboards, headlight protective rings, baffle covers, door guards, motor fans, shutters, and other parts. Due to the damping properties of this material, it can be used for audio components, and due to its shielding properties, it can be used for battery boxes, etc.

Research on thermoplastic resin-based composites in China began in the late 1980s and has developed rapidly in the past decade. In 2000, production reached 120,000 tons, accounting for about 17% of the total resin-based composite production. The matrix materials used are still mainly PP and PA, with glass fiber as the main reinforcement and a small amount of carbon fiber. There have been no major breakthroughs in thermoplastic composites, and there is still a gap compared to developed countries.

Fold Development Potential and Hotspots

China's composite material development has great potential but must address the following hotspot issues.

Fold Composite Material Innovation

Composite material innovation includes technological development, process development, product development, and application of composites. Specifically, it is necessary to focus on innovation in resin matrix development, reinforcement material development, production process innovation, and product application innovation.

Fold Glass Fiber Structural Adjustment

More than 70% of China's glass fiber is used to reinforce substrates, with a cost advantage in the international market, but there is still a gap in variety, specifications, and quality compared to advanced countries. It is necessary to improve and develop yarns, woven fabrics, nonwovens, braided fabrics, sewn fabrics, composite mats, promote close cooperation between the glass fiber and fiberglass industries, and promote new development of glass fiber reinforced materials.

Fold Composite Material Market

First, composites for clean and renewable energy, including composites for wind power generation, flue gas desulfurization devices, power transmission and transformation equipment, and high-pressure containers for natural gas and hydrogen; second, composites for automobiles and urban rail transit, including automobile bodies, frames, and exterior body panels, rail transit car bodies, doors, seats, cable trays, cable racks, grilles, electrical boxes, etc.; third, composites for civil aviation passenger aircraft, mainly carbon fiber composites. Thermoplastic composites account for about 10%, mainly products such as wing components, vertical tails, nose cones, etc. China will need to add 661 regional aircraft in the next 20 years, forming a large civil aviation passenger aircraft industry, and composites can build a new industry to support it; fourth, composites for boats, mainly yachts and fishing boats. Yachts, as high-end durable consumer goods, have a large market in Europe and America. Due to the reduction of fishery resources in China, fishing boats develop slowly, but the unique advantages of composites still have room for development.

Infrastructure Applications

Composite materials are widely used domestically and internationally in basic applications such as bridges, houses, and roads. Compared with traditional materials, they have many advantages, especially in bridges, house reinforcement, tunnel engineering, and large storage warehouse repair and reinforcement, with broad market prospects.

Fold Processing and Recycling

Focus on developing physical recycling (crushing recycling), chemical recycling (pyrolysis), and energy recovery; strengthen research on technical routes and comprehensive treatment technologies; demonstrate production line construction and recycling research; vigorously expand the application of recycled materials in gypsum, pultruded products, SMC/BMC molded products, and typical products.

The high-performance resin-based composite material technology of the 21st century is an intelligent material that integrates self-healing, self-decomposition, self-diagnosis, and self-manufacturing functions into composites. The focus is on developing composites with high stiffness, high strength, and suitability for use in high humidity and heat environments, building an integrated material system of materials, molding processing, design, and inspection. Organizationally, it will be an alliance and group-based system, which will make fuller use of various resources (technical resources, material resources), closely connect various advantages, and promote the further development of the composite materials industry.

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