ZOLTEK, together with Toray, has developed a new innovative technology and input material for Sheet Molding Compound (SMC) for compression molding. SMC is a material consisting of resin and chopped carbon fiber which is placed into matched metal tooling to mold a finished part.
The new carbon fiber tow product still consists of a large tow (50K), but it is now split into 3K sub tows, so that when chopped it breaks apart into a homogeneous isotropic bed of small tow carbon fiber which is easily wet out in the SMC process. The resulting molding compound produces a revolutionary strong and stiff composite part suitable for automotive and other applications.
Final parts molded from SMC benefit from a high throughput compounding process coupled with low cost inputs (resin and fiber). Further, the molding process is highly efficient with very low waste. More than 97% of the compound is used in the final molded part with very little edge trim or other scrap.
| Typical Properties - Cut Coupons, Average 0/90: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| PROPERTY | METHOD | UNITS | VALUE |
| Specific Gravity | ASTM D792 | g/cm3 | 1.41 |
| Tensile Modulus | ASTM D638 | GPa | 34.0 |
| Tensile Strength | ASTM D638 | MPa | 217 |
| Flexural Modulus | ASTM D790 | GPa | 27.6 |
| Flexural Strength | ASTM D790 | MPa | 432 |
| Impact Strength N -Izod | ASTM D4812 | J/m | 483 |
| Glass Transition by DMA | ASTM 7028 | °C (Tan Delta) | >192 |
| Water Absorption | ASTM D570 | % | <0.30 |
| DTUL (HDT) | ASTM D648 | °C | >250 |
| Shrinkage | ASTM D6289 | & | 0.01 |
| Flammability | UL 94 | HB |
ZOLTEK Corporation Sheet Molding Compound Applications
ZOLTEK PX35 is the dominant carbon fiber in the wind turbine industry and is on the forefront of many other applications including infrastructure, automotive, pressure vessels, offshore drillings, and other industrial applications. It is the best value proposition of any other carbon fiber with market-leading properties at a market-leading price.