11 September 2013
Details
Mitsubishi Rayon (MRC) and PTT Plc.
announce today the MOU signing of a joint study of
carbon fiber business
in ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).
MRC and PTT expect high growth of carbon demand
in the region of South East Asia where the local demand
still remains high and believe that
Thailand will be the strategic location for their new facility
due to its fully developed automotive industry.
The joint study will target downstream businesses in
* automobile,
* energy (natural gas and renewable energy),
* civil engineering and
* infrastructure.
MRC and PTT anticipate up to
100 billion JPY (up to 30 billion THB) sales of
carbon fiber composites by 2020 in the region.
The joint study will
* include an evaluation of potential demands
for carbon fiber in Thailand and South East Asia region
* together with the feasibility study of
new carbon fiber and composites plant in Thailand.
At the beginning stage,
the joint collaboration will mainly focus on exploring
automotive part and pressure vessel demands
as the first priority.
PTT, together with MRC believe that
low cost natural gas containers
made of extremely strong and light weight carbon fiber composites
are the key technological breakthrough
which will contribute to the transportation sector,
unfolding the possibility to maximize fuel efficiency globally.
Both companies expect to conclude the joint study
by the end of 2013.
MRC : Carbon fibers and composites materials
- MRC, one of the leading carbon fiber manufacturers, continues to
grow by expanding its capacity to meet global demand for
the carbon fiber products. A joint collaboration with PTT
enhances MRC to globalize its manufacturing capability and
support Asian customer base. MRC's expertise in manufacturing
carbon fiber composites will be contributed to joint collaboration.
- Carbon fiber are stronger than steel and lighter than aluminium
The Mitsubishi Rayon Group possesses a product chain
stretching from
* carbon fiber - made from polyacrylonitrile (PAN) filaments
made in-house
* Intermediate materials
* Molded products
Carbon fiber
- Mitsubishi Rayon's carbon fiber are made from
acrylic fibers carbonized at high temperature.
By precisely creating many layers of carbon molecules,
a light and tough material is created that is stronger than
conventional metal materials.
Carbon fibers have one quarter of the weight of steel but
10 times the strength.
Carbon fibers are electrically conductive, strongly wear-resistant
and transparent to x-rays. They are mainly used in
combination with plastics.
Carbon fiber tows
Carbon fiber tows is bundle of carbon fiber filaments in units of
several thousand to several of tens of thousands. It can be processed
in various ways, weaving cloth fabric, prepreging and so on.
Intermediates (Cloth and Prepreg)
Materials are in a variety of forms, including woven cloth and
UD prepreg (uni-directional carbon fibers imprenated with resins).
These materials are used in the wide range of applications such as
* manufacturing of sport goods,
* machinery parts,
* medical equipments,
* civil engineering and
* aerospace industries
Fabricated composite products
Such as goft-club Shafts
Carbon fiber chain of products : Upstream to Downstream
* Monomers: Propylene + ammonia
* AN (Acrylonitrile), AN is polymerized to form PAN
* PAN (Polyacrylonitrile) , PAN is then spun into precursor
* Precursor (Acrylic fiber), is then oxidized and
carbonized in oven to form carbon fiber.
* Carbon fiber + Resins
* Prepreg (Ready to mold materials in sheet form)
* Finished composites products such as golf shafts
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