Nov 09 2009

There's a Great Future in Plastics

Posted by: Jonathan Marshall

Benjamin, the young man played by Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate, should have listened to the advice he got from Mr. McGuire: "There's a great future in plastics."

If he had, young Benjamin might have found a way to perfect production of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP), a light and superbly strong but expensive composite material that enables a growing share of today's clean technology. In many applications it can replace heavier metal parts and reduce energy consumption.

Consumers already appreciate CFRP in niche products like high-end bicycle frames, tennis raquets, fishing rods and golf clubs. Formula One race car enthusiasts know that CFRP makes the lightest crash-resistant auto bodies, offering the highest performance where cost is no object.

The good news is that CFRP is now penetrating more markets as manufacturers find ways to automate its production.

Mainstream car buyers may soon be able to enjoy race car quality thanks to a new joint venture of BMW and SGL Group to mass produce carbon fiber auto bodies at a competitive price. BMW plans to make them integral to its lightweight hybrid Megacity vehicle.

Robert Koehler, CEO of the SGL Group, stated: "This joint venture with the BMW Group is a milestone for the use of carbon fibres on an industrial scale in the automobile industry. . . . This . . . shows that carbon fibre technology is becoming increasingly important in the materials substitution process to lighter material. This material will help to reduce CO2 emissions and save our natural resources."

The Aptera hypercar, nearing commercial production, will also use a composite body to lower weight and achieve the equivalent of more than 200 miles per gallon, while allowing occupants to survive high-speed crashes.

In a completely unrelated application, General Electric reportedly plans to introduce a radical wind turbine blade design based on carbon fiber composites. The key innovation is a new process that will permit mass production at affordable prices, in place of traditional labor-intensive methods.

The new carbon-fiber blades will weigh as much as one-third less than traditional blades, reducing installation costs and wear on gears and drive shafts. GE hopes to bring the technology to market by 2012, according to the manager of GE Global Research, interviewed in BusinessGreen.com.

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