Posted July 7, 2014

 

TOKYO – Mitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd. announced plans to double production capacity of its carbon fiber plant in Sacramento, Calif.

 

The business, Mitsubishi Rayon Carbon Fiber and Composites, Inc. (MRCFAC) of Irvine, Calif., will install new facilities in Sacramento capable of increasing production by 2,000 additional tons of carbon fiber a year, the company said. The expansion is scheduled to be complete by mid-2016, Mitsubishi Rayon added.

 

The carbon fiber industry in the U.S. is on a significant growth spurt, according to industry watcher Alasdair Carmichael, president of PCI Fibres (Americas). He noted that, just in the last five months, SGL announced a two-stage tripling capacity at its Moses Lake, Wash., joint venture plant with BMW; Cytec announced a doubling of its carbon fiber plant in Greenville, S.C.; and Toray announced a $1 billion long-term investment in a new carbon fiber plant in Spartanburg, S.C.

 

Through development and adoption of renewable energy technology – including wind-generated electricity and lightweight solution technology that improve fuel efficiency to extend driving distance of electric vehicles – worldwide demand for carbon fiber is increasing for industrial applications at an annual rate of more than 20 percent, according to Mitsubishi Rayon.

 

Among industrial applications, carbon fiber-reinforced pressure vessels are becoming widely used for CNG (compressed natural gas) fuel tanks as well as large-scale CNG transporting vessels. In particular, large buses and trucks are proceeding with fuel conversion toward CNG.

 

In addition, fuel tanks carrying high-pressure hydrogen gas for fuel cell vehicles and storage tanks installed at hydrogen stations will utilize carbon fiber, too. In this way, carbon fiber, a material that is directly associated with production and consumption of clean energy, is expected to see demand grow toward 2020, Mitsubishi Rayon said.

 

MRCFAC will be used as the as production center of high-performance, regular-tow carbon fiber to serve the growing demand in the North American market. Mitsubishi Rayon said it will continue to expand value chains related to industrial applications, including pressure vessels, windmills and automobiles.