This summer, SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers will commission a third and fourth production line in Moses Lake, which are currently being built, thus doubling the plant’s capacity to 6,000 tons per year. The groundbreaking ceremony for a fifth and sixth production line has been the first step toward tripling capacities to 9,000 tons annually in the medium term. The energy needed for the carbon fiber production is fully generated from hydropower.

The carbon fiber plant in Moses Lake is a key element in the strategy pursued by the two companies, which anticipates the industrialized large-series production of carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) for the application in future vehicle concepts.

The production of carbon fiber composites for automotive manufacturing requires several process steps:

• The necessary precursor, which is based on polyacrylnitrile fiber, is made by a joint venture between SGL Group and the Japanese company Mitsubishi Rayon in Otake, Japan.

• Next, polyacrylnitrile fiber is turned into the actual carbon fiber in Moses Lake. Carbon fibers are industrially manufactured fibers consisting of 95% carbon; one ACF carbon fiber bundle (roving) contains 50,000 individual fibers (filaments).

  The fiber production process has two main steps: stabilization/oxidation and carbonization. During the stabilization/oxidation process at Moses Lake, the endless PAN precursors are drawn through four furnaces. Thermal stabilization takes place by adding oxygen at temperatures between 200-260 ˚C. This converts the meltable and flammable PAN fibers into non-meltable and non-flammable fibers.

  During the carbonization process, the oxidized fibers are converted into fibers with carbon layers by in a heat treatment process of up to 1,400 ˚C. The end product consists of high-strength, black carbon fibers, consisting 95 % of carbon.

  Carbon fiber production. Click to enlarge.

• This material is then processed at the second joint venture site in Wackersdorf, Germany, and turned into textile carbon fiber layers, the starting point for the production of CFRP body parts at the BMW plants in Landshut and Leipzig. Wackersdorf is also where the recycling processes are implemented, resulting in a non-woven complex.

  This recycled non-woven fabric is a new innovation that did not previously exist in this form and now it can be converted back into vehicles including the roof and rear seat. This enables a self-contained production cycle.

The production of carbon fiber requires a great amount of energy. Accordingly, decisive factors for the set up of the carbon fiber plant in Moses Lake included the availability of renewable hydropower as well as competitive energy costs in Washington State.

With its highly automated carbon fiber production and stringent quality standards, Moses Lake is setting new standards in the industry. At present, the site is the world’s fastest growing carbon fiber producer. Together with the BMW Group, we are doing pioneering work to establish CFRP as a material in large-series automotive production. In a mix of materials, CFRP offers new opportunities in lightweight construction for an eco-friendly mobility.

—Dr. Jürgen Köhler, CEO of SGL Group

Since the start of the year, the Leipzig plant has built over 5,000 BMW i3 vehicles. At present, the production output stands at 100 units a day. Furthermore, the BMW Group has been applying the ultra-lightweight high-tech material also in its BMW M models for the past ten years.

In the BMW i models, CFRP already holds a significant share in the mix of materials, a first at this scope and in series production.

CFRP is a key material for the automotive industry of the 21st century. In our endeavor to identify increasingly lightweight materials in order to reduce a vehicle’s weight and thus its fuel consumption and carbon emissions, this material plays a crucial role. As part of an intelligent mix of materials, we will apply carbon also beyond our BMW i and BMW M models in the future. Thanks to the pooling of the SGL Group’s expertise and our knowledge in large-series production of CFRP components, we will be able to produce the ultra-lightweight high-tech material also for other model series, at competitive costs and in large quantities.

—Dr. Klaus Draeger, Board Member Purchasing and Supplier Network at BMW AG

SGL Group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of carbon-based products and materials. It has a comprehensive portfolio ranging from carbon and graphite products to carbon fibers and composites. Products from SGL Group are used predominantly in the steel, aluminum, automotive and chemical industries as well as in the semiconductor, solar and LED sectors and in lithium-ion batteries. Carbon-based materials and products are also being used increasingly in the wind power, aerospace and defense industries.

With 44 production sites in Europe, North America and Asia as well as a service network covering more than 100 countries, SGL Group is a company with a global presence. In 2013, the Company’s workforce of around 6,300 employees generated sales of €1,477 million (US$2,000 million). The head office is located in Wiesbaden.