en.Wedoany.com Reported - FH Aachen has utilized a novel plasma technology to shorten the critical stabilization phase in carbon fiber production from 60 minutes to 7 minutes, reducing energy consumption by 80% and cutting production line length from 30 meters to approximately 4 meters.
Carbon fibers serve as reinforcement materials in composites (fiber-reinforced plastics, FRP) and are widely used in aircraft manufacturing, automotive production, and wind turbine rotors. Currently, carbon fibers are typically produced from polyacrylonitrile (PAN) plastics in furnaces, a complex and costly process. PAN fibers are usually manufactured by Bayer (Dralon brand) or Hoechst (Dolan brand). The conventional process involves two stages: stabilization and carbonization. During stabilization, PAN fibers pass through industrial furnaces approximately 30 meters long at a millimeter scale, heated at around 300°C for 60 minutes, resulting in high energy consumption and significant plant construction costs.
Researchers at the Institute of Microwave and Plasma Technology (IMP) at FH Aachen have discovered that independent plasma can change this situation. Initial experiments attempted to treat PAN surfaces with plasma jets, finding that while plasma provided sufficient energy, the jet-like action concentrated energy on fiber points, causing fiber burn-through. Additionally, traditional artificial plasma relies on components such as electrodes. IMP Director Prof. Dr. Holger Heuermann stated that the research team successfully separated the plasma from the electrodes and could freely shape the plasma, producing a cylindrical, expanded independent plasma. This plasma can be used as a tool, allowing PAN fibers to pass through without direct contact, ensuring uniform heat distribution, preventing burn-through, and achieving controlled stabilization.
In the new method, PAN fibers pass through the device at a speed of 1 millimeter per second, reducing the total residence time from 60 minutes to 7 minutes for complete stabilization. Energy consumption during the stabilization phase is reduced by 80%, and the production line length is shortened from 30 meters to approximately 4 meters. Researchers noted that the device can be further optimized for industrial applications, for example, by arranging 16 new plasma units in a 4×4 matrix parallel configuration, which could reduce fiber residence time in the furnace to 6 minutes. Further optimization is expected to shorten the time to a minimum of 4 minutes.
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