KNOXVILLE, Tenn., March 10, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The
Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing
Innovation, IACMI, a Manufacturing USA institute driven by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and the U.S.
Department of Energy, in partnership with Ashland, Zoltek,
Michelman, University of Dayton
Research Institute (UDRI), JobsOhio, and Michigan State University (MSU) announces a project
focused on the optimization of vinyl ester resins and fiber sizings
for the fabrication of carbon fiber composites. The effort will
identify styrene-free prepreg formulations with longer room
temperature shelf life, shorter cycle times, and reduced cost.
Advancements in these areas will increase productivity, decrease
scrap and material costs, and enable adoption into the automotive
industry.
During this technical collaboration, researchers at MSU and UDRI
will identify cost-effective combinations of resins from Ashland,
sizings from Michelman, and carbon fibers from Zoltek that can be
used to fabricate prepregs that can be compression-molded into
composite parts. The project will develop vinyl ester resin / fiber
sizing / carbon fiber combinations that are styrene-free and that
have room temperature storage capability of at least three months
and cure times less than three minutes. "We have assembled a
project team that brings together the resin expertise, sizing
expertise, and fiber expertise needed to develop an optimized
system," said Joe Fox, Director of
Emerging & External Technologies at Ashland. "We will be
leveraging the resources and talent at UDRI and MSU."
"Optimization of the manufacturing process for composite
components allows for new avenues in weight reduction, strength,
and safety in the automotive industry. A reduction of
cost for vehicle components can positively impact the automotive
industry as well as the composite manufacturing industry as a
whole," said Bryan G. Dods, IACMI Chief Executive Officer.
The success of this IACMI project will help catalyze the
adoption of carbon fiber and vinyl ester composites into automotive
applications by producing a more cost-effective technology with
lower material costs, a more productive technology with reduced
cure time and reduced scrap, and a safer technology with the
elimination of styrene. These technology innovations should prove
to be an attractive value proposition for the multi-billion dollar
automotive industry and help it to meet its targets for
lightweighting of
vehicles.
About IACMI-The Composites Institute: The
Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI),
managed by the Collaborative Composite Solutions Corporation (CCS),
is a partnership of industry, universities, national laboratories,
and federal, state and local governments working together to
benefit the nation's energy and economic security by sharing
existing resources and co-investing to accelerate development and
commercial deployment of advanced composites. CCS is a
not-for-profit organization established by The University of
Tennessee Research Foundation. The national institute is part of
the Manufacturing USA network and is supported by a $70 million commitment from the U.S. Department
of Energy's Advanced Manufacturing Office, and over $180 million committed from IACMI's partners.
Find out more at IACMI.org.
About Ashland: Ashland Global Holdings Inc.
(NYSE: ASH) is a premier global specialty chemicals company serving
customers in a wide range of industrial and consumer markets,
including automotive, adhesives, architectural coatings,
construction, energy, food and beverage, personal care and
pharmaceutical. Ashland is committed to solving the toughest
challenges for composite fabricators and their customers --
strength, weight, durability, corrosion resistance -- using applied
chemistry and our world-class unsaturated polyester resins and
vinyl ester resins. Visit ashland.com to learn more.
About Michelman: Michelman is a global
developer and manufacturer of environmentally friendly advanced
materials for industry, offering solutions for the coatings,
printing & packaging and industrial manufacturing markets. The
company's surface additives and polymeric binders are used by
leading manufacturers around the world to enhance performance
attributes and add value in applications including wood and floor
care products, metal and industrial coatings, paints, varnishes,
inks, fibers and composites. Michelman is also well-known as an
innovator in the development of barrier and functional coatings, as
well as digital printing press primers that are used in the
production of consumer and industrial packaging and paper products,
labels, and commercially printed materials. Michelman serves its
customers with production facilities in North America, Europe and Asia, product development and technical
service centers in several major global markets, and a worldwide
team of highly trained business development personnel. Visit
www.michelman.com to learn more.
About Zoltek: Zoltek Companies, Inc., a
global leader in industrial grade carbon fiber, develops low-cost
carbon fiber and carbon fiber intermediate products for use in
automotive parts, wind turbine blades, thermoplastic compounding,
offshore drilling, civil engineering, marine, and various other
commercial products. In 2014, Zoltek joined the Toray Group – a
relationship that has advanced the company's technology,
strengthened its technical and financial resources, and positioned
it for further growth and development as the global leader in
carbon fiber. To learn more, visit www.zoltek.com.
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SOURCE IACMI-The Composites Institute