Toho Tenax has announced the development of a new grade carbon fibre that achieves both high-tenacity and high-tensile modulus required for aircraft and automotive applications.
The company developed its new grade carbon fibre with a uniform structure by optimising the structural design of polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based precursor and by optimising the manufacturing process. Compared to the company’s previous product, the existing grade carbon fibre that has been mainly used for aircraft applications, Tenax XMS32 offers 10% more tenacity and 10% greater tensile modulus. In addition, resin adherence has been significantly improved through new surface-modification technology to refine the chemical characteristics of the carbon fibre’s surface and control its smoothness on the nano level.
Carbon fibre used in aircraft, automotive, high-end sports and leisure applications must offer very high levels of stiffness, as well as improved tenacity and tensile modulus. The trend toward the thin-walling of products causes problems with stiffness and tensile modulus properties. It had generally been difficult to realise both tenacity and tensile modulus in PAN carbon fibre due to decreased tenacity resulting from increased tensile modulus.
Toho Tenax is developing prepreg using the new material for airplanes and expects to develop prepregs for automotive and high-end sports and leisure applications in the foreseeable future. Going forward, Toho Tenax will continue extending its lineup of carbon fibre ranging from yarn to structural parts, to meet wide-ranging requirements.