As a global hub for the aerospace and automotive industries, France has an exceptionally strong demand for carbon fiber composite materials. A well-known local composite material supplier needed to process carbon fiber into carbon fiber ultrafine classification for functional fillers, enhancing the mechanical strength and electrical conductivity of resin matrices.
Project Challenges
- Aspect ratio interference:
Carbon fiber powders usually have a certain aspect ratio, which can easily cause “bridging” or blockage of the classifier wheel during classification, negatively affecting classification accuracy. - Extreme particle size targets:
The fine fraction D50 must be controlled within 1.0–1.2 μm, pushing the process into the technological “deep-water zone” of submicron classification. - Strict control of coarse particles:
The coarse fraction D100 must be < 10 μm. Any remaining large particles would become stress concentration points in composites, potentially leading to cracking of the final products.
Solution: HTS High-Efficiency Turbine Air Classifier
To address the unique physical characteristics of carbon fiber, Epic Powder selected the HTS Series High-Efficiency Turbine Classifier, a precision carbon fiber ultrafine classification system specifically designed for submicron classification.
Core Technical Highlights
- High-speed, high-strength flow field:
The HTS classifier uses an optimized turbine rotor design to generate an extremely stable centrifugal force field at ultra-high rotational speeds, ensuring precise capture of particles at the 1.0 μm level. - Anti-static and anti-adhesion design:
Considering carbon fiber’s tendency to generate static electricity and agglomerate, special internal surface treatments were applied, and the secondary air inlet angle was optimized to effectively disperse agglomerated particles. - Horizontal rotor structure:
Compared with vertical designs, the HTS horizontal configuration provides higher cut-point sharpness when processing ultrafine powders, effectively eliminating the risk of coarse particles leaking into the fine fraction.
Operating Data and Results
After processing through the HTS system at the French customer’s site, the carbon fiber powder demonstrated outstanding consistency:
| Key Parameter | Customer Target | HTS Measured Result |
|---|---|---|
| Fine powder D50 | 1.0–1.2 μm | 1.12 μm |
| Coarse fraction D100 | < 10 μm | 9.10 μm |
| Classification efficiency | > 75% | 82% |
| Product purity | No cross-contamination | Meets aerospace-grade standards |