The companies anticipate opening their first plant in the Oklahoma or Kansas area in 2014 that will service the significant industrial and aircraft manufacturing centres located in the region.
ATI's carbon fibre recycling and reactive fibre finishes offer distinct advantages for the growing carbon fibre market. Recovery of carbon fibre by recycling enables manufacturers to deal with secondary carbon fibre and end-of-life parts.
The ATI process employs a ‘closed loop process’ that has been demonstrated for major aircraft programs that utilise carbon fibre composites. Changing waste to raw materials using ATI's process delivers refinable liquid products and precious metal recovery useful for electronics, automotive, mixed plastics and tyres.
Manufacturers are able to destroy classified components as composite structures are completely broken down and all materials are recovered and accountable. The new plant will have an initial capacity to process five tons of scrap per day.
Fibrer finishes and composite repair primers are based on reactive coupling agents that lead to improved properties and durability. They feature covalent bonding at the interface and are useful for carbon, silicon carbide, alumina, and Kevlar® fibers. They are vinyl ester, BMI, polyimide, phenolic, polyester and epoxy compatible. The Repair Primers increase dry bond strength of structures and provide improved environmental durability of bonded repairs.
AMT II is a private investment, management and consulting firm specialising in the chemical, advanced composites and aerospace industries, and will become a major partner in the new enterprise, providing capital and industrial expertise in the carbon fibre business.
