Abstract
The application of carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastics (CFRTPs) for automotive mass production is attracting increasing attention from researchers and engineers in related fields. This article presents recent developments in CFRTPs focusing on the systematic development of lightweight CFRTP applications for automotive mass production. Additionally, a related national project of Japan conducted at the University of Tokyo is also introduced. The basic development demands, the specific requirements of CFRTPs for lightweight applications in automotive mass production, and the current development status and basic scientific outputs are discussed. The development of high-performance CFRTPs (chopped carbon fiber tape-reinforced thermoplastics (CTTs)) and functional CFRTPs (carbon fiber mat-reinforced thermoplastics (CMTs)) is also introduced. The fabrication process control of CTTs is evaluated, which demonstrates the extreme importance of the mechanical performance. The ultralight lattice, toughened structures, and orientation designable components of CMTs provide a flexible multi-material solution for the proposed applications. Moreover, highly efficient carbon fiber recycling technology is discussed, with recycled carbon fibers exhibiting outstanding compatibility with CFRTPs. A cost sensitivity analysis of carbon fiber and CFRTPs is conducted to guarantee the feasibility and affordability of their application. This article also discusses the trends and sustainability of carbon fiber and CFRTPs usage. The importance of the object-oriented optimal development of CFRTPs is emphasized to efficiently exploit their advantages.
Highlights
Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRP) have been applied to various industrial fields over the last 50 years, most commonly in the aeronautics, sports, and automotive industries
The automotive industry is one of the primary sources of global CO2 emissions; automotive companies have focused their research on technologies that reduce these emissions [2], which has led to the development of low-emission and high-efficiency internal combustion engines, hybrid engines, fuel cell engines, and electric motors
The development of different powertrain types shows the potential of CO2 emission reduction in automotive engineering
Summary
Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRP) have been applied to various industrial fields over the last 50 years, most commonly in the aeronautics, sports, and automotive industries. The internal geometry evaluation using micro-computerized X-ray tomography (μCT) and simulation modeling of the CTT provided more detailed material features pertaining to its mass production in the automotive industry Such μ-CT methods provide a strong capability for visualization and quantification of multiscale fiber orientation distributions, tape morphologies, 3D internal structures, and orientation misalignments [60,61]. The CTTs fabricated using ultra-thin tapes with small dimensions have demonstrated outstanding mechanical performance, high-cycle moldability, and designability for automotive industry applications. FFigiguurere1122. .MMeecchhaannicicaal lmmooddeelilninggoof fCCTTTT[2[255,4,400].]
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