Carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastics (CFRTPs) excel in specific strength and specific rigidity, and they are attracting attention in a variety of industrial applications in sectors such as the automotive industry from the standpoint of high-cycle performance and recyclability. However, because carbon fiber usually takes the form of a textile weave when being formed into complex, three-dimensional shapes, it has been associated with the problems of inadequate shapeability and susceptibility to wrinkle development during forming. This research seeks to develop a continuous fiber CFRTP semi-preg material that can be formed into three-dimensional shapes. To accomplish that goal, we have studied how to establish technologies for covering carbon fiber with synthetic fiber (thermoplastic resin) and using the resulting material to produce a knit fabric.

References
林ら, 岐阜県産業技術センター研究報告8, pp.21-22, 2014

Questionnaire 2014/Shinshu University Faculty of Textile Science and Technology Fii