STABILIZATION

Since fiber quality is significantly determined by the stabilization and oxidation of precursor fibers, this marks an essential step in carbon fiber manufacturing. Furthermore, oxidation causes the major part of costs and energy consumption of the whole process. Moreover, it is the slowest process step. The chemical reaction rate is mainly limited due to diffusion issues and the risk of over oxidation and over heating resulting in fiber damage.

centrotherm developed a new concept to overcome these issues. Precise control of process parameters and the use of different process gases and concentrations enables tailoring/adjustments of the process atmosphere depending on the fiber’s chemical and physical requirements during the process. Low pressure is used to tailor the amount of oxygen in the oxidation process. Higher achievable process temperatures and faster diffusion result in an increased reaction rate. Moreover, the new concept unlocks the potential of creating a wide variety of other process atmospheres during the process.

The new technology requires no circulating air. This allows an advanced control of temperature settings and results in considerable energy savings due to the exclusion of huge amounts of hot air transfers.

Depending on the field of application c.OXI Carbon is available in different versions with an unmatched degree of flexibility. Capacities range from 1 t/a for R&D applications up to 1000 t/a for high-volume production with a customized design.