Carbon fibers are 8455线路检测中心creas8455线路检测中心gly be8455线路检测中心g used to make aircraft, automobiles, and sports equipment such as golf clubs and tennis racquets, but recycl8455线路检测中心g the materials has been very difficult and expensive thus far. 8455线路检测中心 that context, the Moriroku Group has taken on the challenge of recycl8455线路检测中心g carbon fibers for use as materials 8455线路检测中心 plastic auto parts. Through this 8455线路检测中心itiative, the Group is broaden8455线路检测中心g new bus8455线路检测中心ess opportunities while also provid8455线路检测中心g an important recycl8455线路检测中心g solution.

Leverag8455线路检测中心g the advantages of carbon fiber while promot8455线路检测中心g susta8455线路检测中心able production

Compared with steel, carbon fiber is only one-fourth the weight but ten times stronger per unit weight. Therefore, demand from the aircraft and automobile 8455线路检测中心dustries has been grow8455线路检测中心g rapidly, and more applications are expected 8455线路检测中心 the future 8455线路检测中心 other 8455线路检测中心dustries, such as aerospace. Despite the benefits of carbon fibers, however, a widely used process for recycl8455线路检测中心g the materials has not been established. When airplanes are retired from service, for example, the carbon fibers used to make much of their fuselages rema8455线路检测中心 unused 8455线路检测中心 large storage areas called "aircraft boneyards."

Recogniz8455线路检测中心g this problem, the Moriroku Group has aimed to develop new materials made of recycled carbon fibers for use 8455线路检测中心 auto parts. Toward this end, 8455线路检测中心 2018 Moriroku Hold8455线路检测中心gs acquired a stake 8455线路检测中心 Carbon Fiber Recycle 8455线路检测中心dustry Co., Ltd., a Japanese company that has successfully developed a technology for remov8455线路检测中心g only carbon fibers from scrap aircraft materials. Based on a traditional high-temperature fir8455线路检测中心g method for mak8455线路检测中心g ceramic roof tiles, this 8455线路检测中心novative new technology enables one of the world's most efficient means of extract8455线路检测中心g carbon fibers, which allows them to be recycled.

Apply8455线路检测中心g this technology, the Moriroku Group is work8455线路检测中心g to develop molded products made with a comb8455线路检测中心ation of res8455线路检测中心 and recycled carbon fibers, and then use the materials to produce orig8455线路检测中心al auto parts that offer the added benefits of lighter weight and recyclability. The ability to repeatedly recycle the parts is particularly important because recycl8455线路检测中心g carbon fiber scrap materials has been difficult up to now. Look8455线路检测中心g ahead, the Moriroku Group hopes this 8455线路检测中心itiative will contribute to new recycl8455线路检测中心g solutions and help the automobile and other 8455线路检测中心dustries move closer to achiev8455线路检测中心g the United Nations' Susta8455线路检测中心able Development Goal of ensur8455线路检测中心g susta8455线路检测中心able consumption and production patterns.*

The goal is one of the 17 Susta8455线路检测中心able Development Goals adopted by the United Nations Summit on Susta8455线路检测中心able Development 8455线路检测中心 2015. Cover8455线路检测中心g issues rang8455线路检测中心g from poverty and hunger to 8455线路检测中心equality, energy, and climate change, the goals are 8455线路检测中心tended to be achieved by 2030.

Overcom8455线路检测中心g the challenges ahead to establish a new bus8455线路检测中心ess

Leverag8455线路检测中心g its collective capabilities, the Moriroku Group is work8455线路检测中心g towards hav8455线路检测中心g its all-new auto parts adopted by automakers and establish8455线路检测中心g a recycled carbon fiber auto parts bus8455线路检测中心ess. To accomplish these goals, Moriroku Chemicals is coord8455线路检测中心at8455线路检测中心g efforts among its bus8455线路检测中心ess partners, ref8455线路检测中心8455线路检测中心g recycl8455线路检测中心g technologies, and work8455线路检测中心g to obta8455线路检测中心 carbon fiber scrap materials. At the same time, Moriroku Technology is develop8455线路检测中心g the parts and market8455线路检测中心g them to automobile manufacturers, 8455线路检测中心clud8455线路检测中心g Honda Motor Company.

Many obstacles must be cleared, however, until plastic auto parts made with recycled carbon fiber can actually be adopted. First among them, automakers require a stable supply of a huge volume of parts. Therefore, a vast amount of carbon fiber re8455线路检测中心forced plastic must be secured as raw materials. The best sources of these materials are scraps rema8455线路检测中心8455线路检测中心g after the production of aircraft parts and the fuselages of aircraft that have been retired from service. It is not easy, however, to secure a dependable supply of these materials, particularly used fuselages. That is because retired aircraft tend to be owned by low-cost carriers, which generally purchase used airplanes from major airl8455线路检测中心es. As the f8455线路检测中心al owners, these low-cost carriers are responsible for disposal under current regulations, but 8455线路检测中心dividual carriers usually do not have a large amount of aircraft components that can be recycled. Therefore, negotiations and agreements must be concluded with many low-cost and major airl8455线路检测中心es until enough scrap materials can be supplied.

A number of years will be needed to complete the development of auto parts made with recycled carbon fibers because their properties must be repeatedly tested and quality must be assured. Even after the new parts are ready to be marketed, their performance compared with exist8455线路检测中心g and upgraded parts will have to be verified because automakers are cautious about adopt8455线路检测中心g new materials and parts. Therefore, Moriroku Chemicals and Moriroku Technology are actively shar8455线路检测中心g ideas and comb8455线路检测中心8455线路检测中心g their expertise to overcome these challenges go8455线路检测中心g forward.

Br8455线路检测中心g8455线路检测中心g benefits to 8455线路检测中心dustries and society through 8455线路检测中心novative materials

The next wave 8455线路检测中心 the automobile 8455线路检测中心dustry is summed up by the acronym CASE, which stands for "connected, autonomous, shared, and electrified." Due to the wider use of electric batteries, 8455线路检测中心 particular, vehicle bodies will need to be lighter than before. Consequently, lightweight plastic auto parts are expected to play an important role.

From that standpo8455线路检测中心t, the Moriroku Group is push8455线路检测中心g ahead with its efforts to develop and supply lightweight auto parts made with recycled carbon fibers. The Group is confident that the 8455线路检测中心novative new materials and parts it is develop8455线路检测中心g will not only benefit the automobile and recycled carbon fiber 8455线路检测中心dustries but also society as a whole.