Composite materials are important to advancements in these industries because they combine the strength of fibres with the resilience of plastics. Commonly used in the aerospace sector, composites are now becoming more widely used in areas like construction (to make whole bridges, for example) and for lighter, larger and stronger wind turbines. The projects are in collaboration with the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI) and their partner companies and universities in the US.

The projects being funded are led by innovative UK composites producers, working in partnership with universities and leading research and technology organisations such as TWI and HVM Catapult Centres such as the National Composites Centre and the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre

Simon Edmonds, Innovate UK’s, Deputy Executive Chair and Chief Business Officer

The projects are funded in the UK by the Fund for International Collaboration (FIC), which is designed to support the UK to form new and strengthen existing, bilateral partnerships for research and innovation with leading nations with a reputation for excellence. US funding has been provided by the US Department of Energy, State governments and private industry.

The seven projects, including their respective UK and USA partners, are in brief:

• CADFEC: Fibre Engineered Composites, for car components: Aston Martin and Expert Tooling and Automation, based in Coventry. U.S. partners include DowAksa, Dow Chemical, and Purdue University
• TACOMA: X-ray scanning for high-speed inspection of Automotive composite parts: TWI, Cambridge. U.S. partners include American Chemistry Council and Michigan State University
• HIPPAC: Advanced composites for stronger, lighter wind-turbine blades: Fibreforce Composites, Runcorn; Brunel University. U.S. partners include National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, GE Energy, and Montefibre
• FibreSteer: Fibre shaping for stronger aerospace components: iComat (a University of Bristol spin-out company), National Composites Centre (part of HVM Catapult) and Airbus. U.S. partners include Airbus Americas and University of Dayton Research Institute
• FibreLoop: Re-cycling carbon fibre production waste into new high-value components: NetComposites, Chesterfield; Far-UK, Nottingham and the Advanced Materials Research Centre (part of HVM Catapult). U.S. partners include Vartega, BASF, Michelman, and Michigan State University
• ENACT: Polymer layering for ‘overmoulding’, allowing more sophisticated design for complex parts: Surface Generation, Rutland, and Nottingham University. U.S. partner is Michigan State University
• TexTape: Trying to substantially reduce the costs of carbon fibre thermoplastics: Composites Evolution, Chesterfield, and National Composites. US partner is Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

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The new system which looks at enhancing the cost-effectiveness of manufacturing thermoplastic carbon fibre composites is based on a reactive polyamide system and compatible carbon fibres. A carbon-fibre surface or sizing specially designed for the matrix system as well as tailored thermoplastic reactive systems mean that lightweight structural components can now be manufactured quicker and easier.

The partnership between the SGL Group and BASF was launched back in October 2012. On the basis of the now-complete material research, the transfer of the special systems made from carbon fibres and matrices into specific applications of customers in the automotive industry is now under way.

SGL developed a new sizing formulation for the carbon fibres. In addition, special processes for manufacturing carbon-fibre-based textiles such as fabrics and braidings were also developed. To produce Non-Crimp-Fabrics (NCF), special threads are used that enable processing in the reactive polyamide system.

BASF’s role was to process the newly developed carbon fibres using the thermoplastic resin transfer molding technique and to characterise them comprehensively both chemically and mechanically. The BASF research team is continuing to work intensively on the development of caprolactam-based thermoplastic reactive systems.

Josef R. Wünsch, head of Structural Materials and Systems Research at BASF said;

In close collaboration with plant manufacturers as well as tiers and automotive OEMs, we are working on the development of robust polyamid 6 carbon-fibre composite systems. The mechanical characteristic values arising from the interaction of the fibre and matrix are crucial input parameters for our simulation tool Ultrasim.

Thermoplastics-based carbon-fibre composites combine the properties of carbon fibres such as high rigidity and low weight with the familiar processing advantages of thermoplastics, allowing them to be formed, recycled and welded. This helps make carbon fibre technology an even more viable proposition for large-scale production in a number of different applications.

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The company launched a structural foam based on PET (polyethylene terephthalate). The new material with the trade name Kerdyn is a high-performance foam supplied in form of panels that is used inside rotor blades, providing additional stability.

As core material, PET foams offer exceptionally good mechanical properties and have a wide range of compatibility in terms of processing. With its ability to withstand very high temperatures and its very good chemical resistance, Kerdyn is extremely well-suited for use in composites. As part of the spectrum of lightweight materials for composites, high-quality PET foam panels are also in demand in the transportation, marine, and building/construction sectors.

For vacuum infusion of ever larger rotor blades, BASF have developed the Baxxodur System 5100 consisting of Baxxores® ER 5100 resin and Baxxodur EC 5120 hardener. This new low- viscosity system does not only result in fast and complete impregnation of the fibres, but additionally offers a considerably longer processing time than standard systems. The company will also introduce a new epoxy resin-based structural adhesive system in Paris: the Baxxodur 4100 system consists of Baxxores ER 4100 adhesive resin and the standard Baxxodur EC 4110 hardener or alternatively Baxxodur EC 4105 for fast bonding. The system has been certified for rotor blade production by German Lloyd.

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One aim of this initiative is to jointly develop new materials for the automotive, building and construction, and energy industries. The cooperation is initially planned for five years with around 20 new post-doctoral positions created at the three universities.

This collaboration with these prestigious American universities is an important expansion of our international research network, It is part of BASF’s strategy to further extend our global research and development activities. We rely on strong partners for this project.
Hans Engel CEO of BASF Corporation and CFO of BASF SE

Scientists from disciplines such as chemistry, physics and biology and engineers with know-how in different industries will work together in this research initiative. The academic partners contribute not only their expertise in material sciences, modeling and formulation methods, but also provide new ideas for interesting research approaches. Besides fundamental scientific knowledge, BASF researchers will contribute the necessary experience in transforming research results into technically feasible processes and products and input about which materials are needed in the different industries and applications.

The ideas and topics to be researched will be decided jointly by the researchers participating in the initiative. Topics already identified include micro and nanostructured polymers with new properties, as well as biomimetic materials that emulate nature. For example, the scientists are working on lightweight construction materials for wind turbines and automotive construction and on new colour effects for cosmetic applications.

The research scientists are supported and advised by a scientific committee that includes BASF scientists and George Whitesides, Ph.D. and Dave Weitz, Ph.D. of Harvard; Robert Langer, Ph.D. and Mary Boyce, Ph.D. of MIT, and Todd Emrick, Ph.D. and Alan Lesser, Ph.D. of UMass Amherst.

The American research initiative will build on the successful cooperation between BASF and Harvard University. During the five years’ cooperation to date, 13 academic research groups have been working together with BASF scientists.

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Owens Corning is a leading global producer of glass fiber reinforcements for composite systems. The goal of the alliance is to develop optimal solutions in thermoplastic composites for automotive mass production.

In this new strategic alliance Owens Corning will bring the technology to develop custom-made fabrics and glass reinforcement solutions, BASF will contribute its knowledge in the production and formulation of thermoplastic resins and TenCate will bring its expertise in composites manufacturing.

Global emission standards for vehicles continue to increase the need for lighter vehicles that maintain strength and durability. Compared to metal parts, fibre reinforced plastic composites can be 30 to 50% lighter. Thermoplastic composites help increase fuel efficiency in automobiles and reduce costs for consumers. Thermoplastic processing also dramatically reduces production cycle times. Additionally, these products have no limitations in shelf life and can be recycled.

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The main goal of this new partnership is to offer car manufacturers custom-engineered solutions for high-performance composite structures, which enable this industry to further reduce weight and carbon dioxide emission.

TenCate Cetex fibre reinforced thermoplastic product portfolio is currently used in the aerospace industry for aircraft structures and interiors. At present new aircraft such as the Airbus A380, A350 and Boeing 787 are the main users of such material. Add this to BASF’s links within the automotive industry and the required developments are hoped to be accelerated.

In this new strategic alliance, BASF will contribute its know-how in the production and formulation of thermoplastic resins in order to develop special variants of its Ultramid (PA), Ultradur (PBT) and Ultrason (PESU) product lines. TenCate Advanced Composites joins in with their expertise in composite manufacturing. Together both companies are dedicated to automotive composite materials (UD-tapes, prepregs and laminates) based on these specialty resin systems.

Melanie Maas-Brunner, successor to Willy Hoven-Nievelstein and new head of the Engineering Plastics Europe business unit of BASF in Germany explains;

The next major advance in lightweight automotive constructions will not be possible without a dramatic reduction in processing costs. This can be accomplished by using continuous fibre reinforced thermoplastic composites. The breakthrough for composites to mass production, however, has not yet been made. By working together with TenCate, we intend to jointly achieve this breakthrough

AS we know when compared to metal parts, fibre reinforced plastic composites can be between 30 and 50 % lighter. Thermoplastic composites help car manufacturers economise on the fuel consumption of automobiles and enable the industry to cut costs. Due to the ease of thermoplastic processing, these advanced materials will dramatically reduce production cycle times, have no limitations in shelf life and can be recycled. Thus mass production becomes accessible. Much experience has been built up over the last decades in connection with welding technologies to connect composites materials into complex structures and to integrate these components and structural parts into multi-material end-products. Target applications are semi-structural parts as well as primary structures in car bodies and chassis.

Thermoplastic laminates with continuous fibre reinforcement are woven or non-woven fabrics impregnated with resins and formed into sheets, which are extremely light yet very strong. UD-tapes, another product class, make full use of the anisotropic nature of uni-directionally (UD) oriented impregnated fibres. In a second step, these semi-finished products can be formed into more complex parts and overmolded by means of injection moulding. This combination results in components that are enhanced by a high degree of functional integration.

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BASF will continue to directly serve its customers in the automotive and wind energy industry with Baxxodur systems. The distribution agreement between both companies will initially target the German market and is to be extended, step by step to other European countries in which Euroresins is active.

Dr. Gregor Daun, Global Business Manager Epoxy Systems in BASF’s Intermediates division.

This partnership fits well into BASF’s strategy for epoxy resin systems, which focuses on selected areas such as wind energy and automotive. As one of the largest European distributors of composite materials, Euroresins has the perfect structure and acceptance in the market to serve the broad range of other applications

Under the Baxxodur brand BASF offers epoxy systems for the efficient production of fibre re-inforced composites. The product range includes various epoxy resins plus hardener systems.

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The material system is intended for use in the T-RTM process (Thermoplastic Resin Transfer Moulding) as well as the reactive injection moulding process, and permits considerably shorter processing cycles than conventional thermosetting RTM. The adjustment of the material system to these faster processing techniques plays a major role for the entry of light and high-strength structural components made of carbon fibre composite into automotive mass production.

As a manufacturer of polyamide and caprolactam, a precursor of polyamide, BASF is contributing its knowledge in the development of new polymer matrix systems. The SGL Group is utilising material expertise along the carbon fibre value-added chain and in high-temperature processes.

Dr. Martin Jung, Head of Structural Materials Research and spokesman for BASF Research toward the automotive industry.

To achieve good wetting of the fibre and short cycle times in T-RTM or reactive injection moulding, we start from low-viscosity highly reactive caprolactam formulations

In order to achieve optimal bonding of the polyamide to the fibre, the new matrix system requires a suitable carbon fiber surface treatment.

Dr. Hubert Jäger, Head of Technology & Innovation, SGL Group:

It is only with a custom-formulated finish that this optimal bonding can form and the carbon fibres transmit their unique stiffness and strength properties fully to the part. On the basis of our many years of industrial experience, we are able to optimise processes and materials along the entire value-added chain of carbon fibre technology for new applications.

Thermoplastic carbon fibre-reinforced composites combine the properties of carbon fibres such as high stiffness at low weight with the typical processing advantages of thermoplastics. They can be formed, recycled and welded. In this way they encourage further development of carbon fibre technology toward the goal of suitability for mass production.

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BASF are able to investigate three different plastic matrix systems simultaneously and intends to develop tailor-made formulations.

RTM and fibre-reinforced composites: easy-flowing and fast-curing
The processing technology behind the new materials is “Resin Transfer Molding” (RTM), which can be used to produce large and complex composite components in a single press-form operation. This involves placing multilayer fibre structures in a heated mold that is mounted in a press. A liquid resin is then injected into the mold, wetting the fibres completely and then curing in a controlled manner. In the newly established RTM laboratory in Ludwigshafen and at polyurethane research in Lemförde, BASF experts are working on the chemical and technical challenges posed by the new matrix solutions. The automobile components to be produced from these materials in the future will be able to withstand high loads despite their light weight.

In addition to the mechanical performance of the finished fibre-reinforced composite part, good flow characteristics and, above all, a short curing time of the resin components represent the primary challenges with all three material systems. BASF already offers solutions on the basis of epoxy and polyurethane systems under the brand names Baxxodur® and Elastolit® R, respectively . Epoxy resin systems from BASF are in use today for the rotor blades of wind turbines. Both solutions employ novel curing mechanisms: thanks to their low initial viscosity, they impregnate the fibre structures very well and then cure within only a few minutes. Thus they address one of the problems that previously represented an obstacle to the use of high-performance composites in automobile production. They are self-releasing and can be processed on existing high- as well as low-pressure equipment. Moreover, the new polyamide systems that are currently under development can be welded easily and also recycled as thermoplastics. Depending on the customer’s requirement profile, one solution or the other will fit the bill. BASF is devoting significant effort on accelerated curing of the three plastic matrix systems, and thus a further shortening of the cycle time.

Endless fibres for structural components: carbon and glass fibres
Structural chassis or body components can be manufactured only from composite materials based on endless carbon or glass fibres, and require fibre contents of about 65 weight percent. Endless fibres are already in use today in aircraft and wind power applications, in plant construction, in prototype construction and in short-run automotive applications. Carbon fibres impart very high stiffness as a reinforcing material and are thus of special interest. To interact with application engineers and end users at an early stage, BASF has recently become a member of Carbon Composites e.V. (CCeV), a competence network for carbon fibres and fibre-reinforced composite technology that was established in 2007 and now has more than 120 members. In addition to the performance of a reinforcing material, price and availability are important for rapid introduction of matrix systems to the market. Glass fibres show great potential here: The limits of their mechanical strength have not yet been reached by far.

Multi material systems
The overall system consisting of plastic matrix and fibre reinforcement must be processable on a reliable basis and readily adoptable for high-volume production. Compared to conventional metal components, they will contribute to a weight reduction of about 50%. Established technologies that embed metal inserts or endless fibre-reinforced thermoplastic mats and UD tape (unidirectional fibre reinforcement) in plastic complement the new approach. In addition, endless fibre-reinforced skin layers can be combined with lightweight foam cores to yield high-quality sandwich structures with exceptionally good specific part stiffness and good insulating characteristics in combination with low weight. The PU foam systems developed for such parts by BASF are characterized by high compressive strength and temperature resistance in conjunction with a low density. “Without such multimaterial systems, the next major advance in lightweight automotive applications will not be possible”, states Volker Warzelhan, Head of Thermoplastics Research at BASF.

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