At the first anniversary of the countdown to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, a carbon fiber torch is eye-catching. The torch shell of the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics named "Flying" uses high-temperature carbon fiber materials. The torch combustor is also mainly made of carbon fiber.
This torch perfectly interprets the characteristics of "light, solid and beautiful". First, the carbon fiber composite material is at least one-fifth lighter than the aluminum alloy of the same volume, which can reduce the burden on the torchbearer; secondly, because the carbon fiber composite material has the characteristics of high strength, corrosion resistance, fatigue resistance, and long service life. It is more "sturdy" and reliable than metal torches. Furthermore, carbon fiber composite materials have a variety of application forms, and the material placement is designable. This torch uses three-dimensional woven molding technology to form a beautiful whole with complex shapes.
It is worth mentioning that this material also enables this torch to withstand hydrogen combustion temperatures higher than 800°C.
As the performance advantages of carbon fiber composite materials have received more and more attention, different industries have put forward higher application requirements for them. For example, transportation vehicles such as aviation aircraft, rail transit, and automobile manufacturing urgently need to replace traditional metals with carbon fiber composite materials to achieve the goal of lightweight, low-carbon and environmental protection. For another example, industrial machinery and equipment are also actively using the special advantages of carbon fiber composite materials to achieve industrial upgrades with high efficiency and low energy consumption.
However, ordinary epoxy resin-based carbon fiber composite materials cannot withstand excessively high operating temperatures, which is also a bottleneck for the application of carbon fiber composite materials in many specific industries.
For this reason, SHSH Carbon Fiber Technology Group regards the "high temperature resistance" and "flame retardancy" of carbon fiber composite materials as key research and development topics. Through close cooperation with resin manufacturers and university research and development teams, on the one hand, it conducts modification experiments on carbon fiber composite materials. The addition of solvents with "high temperature resistance" and "flame retardant" performance, coupled with special preparation methods, enables parts and components made of this type of carbon fiber composite material to be used normally in a working environment above 300°C. The reinforced high-temperature-resistant carbon fiber composite material can even withstand short-term high-temperature operations up to 1000°C, which can meet the specific needs of special industries such as aerospace and military industries.
On the other hand, SHSH has also invested a lot of capital and scientific research strength to overcome the melting problem between high-performance thermoplastic resin matrix and continuous carbon fiber. It uses high-performance engineering plastics such as PPS, PEEK, PA6 as the matrix to absorb the reinforcement. With the advantages of the resin matrix, a thermoplastic carbon fiber composite material with stronger "high temperature resistance" and "wear resistance" performance is formed, which provides new material options for industrial development and equipment upgrades.
Of course, the charm and advantage of composite materials lies in their endless variability and designability. Regarding high-temperature carbon fiber composite materials, the composition and proportion of composite materials must be adjusted according to the actual needs of customers and the specific application environment. In the molding and manufacturing process of the product, any detailed technical parameter may have an important impact on the performance of the finished product. Therefore, "high temperature resistance" is by no means a simple performance feature, it is just one of the prerequisites for carbon fiber composite materials to move toward a broader application field.