Cathay Biotech showcases high-performance bio-based fiber-reinforced composites at the China Composites Expo 2024

The China Composites Expo 2024 officially kicked off from September 2 to 4. Cathay Biotech, a leading global bio-manufacturing company, showcased its high-performance bio-based polyamide continuous fiber-reinforced composite products and diverse application solutions at the event.

High-performance composite materials are experiencing growing demand as the socio-economic structure transforms, particularly in industries such as transportation, automotive, photovoltaics, wind power, and aerospace. According to forecasts by the Qianzhan Industry Research Institute, China's composite materials industry is expected to grow at an annual rate of 4%, with the market size projected to exceed $30 billion by 2029. As a pioneer and innovator in the bio-manufacturing industry, Cathay Biotech is dedicated to providing sustainable new material options for the composite materials sector. During this exhibition, based on high-performance bio-based polyamide continuous fiber-reinforced composite materials, Cathay showcased application solutions in areas such as automotive lightweighting (both commercial and passenger vehicles), construction engineering, and alternative energy. The display attracted widespread attention from professional visitors, effectively demonstrating the strength of this product technology.

Technology Leading High-Performance Material Innovation

Innovation in high-performance materials is becoming a key factor driving industrial development. Leveraging cutting-edge synthetic biology, Cathay Biotech transcends the limitations of traditional materials, innovatively using renewable resources to produce high-performance new composite materials.

Cathay Biotech's bio-based polyamide continuous fiber-reinforced composite materials represent a high-performance new composite material. The matrix resin can be tailored to use different types of bio-based polyamides, including low-temperature long-chain, medium-temperature, and high-temperature varieties. Through the process of thermoplastic resin melt impregnation of fibers, these materials achieve reinforcement with 50-70% continuous glass fiber or 45-55% continuous carbon fiber, catering to various operational requirements. Additionally, Cathay offers customized composite materials in different sizes and specifications, as well as those with specific functionalities such as flame retardancy and UV resistance. Various color options, including natural, black, and blue, are also available to meet customer preferences.

Based on different operational requirements and design specifications, Cathay Biotech's bio-based polyamide continuous fiber-reinforced composite materials can be categorized into four basic material forms: tapes, panels, profiles, and pipes.

• Tapes: Tapes refer to prepreg tape composites, which are commonly used in processes such as filament winding, hand lay-up, and automated lay-up for composite material manufacturing. They can also serve as a form of reinforcement material and are applicable in products like hydrogen cylinders and wind turbine blades.
• Panels: Panels are flat composite materials used for structural components and coverings. Made from Cathay's bio-based polyamide continuous fiber-reinforced composites, these panels have a density 1/4 that of Corten steel and a specific strength 1.5 times higher. Applications include building formwork, container bodies, and refrigerated truck skins.
• Profiles: Profiles refer to composite materials with cross-sections in specific shapes (such as square, round, or trapezoidal) tailored to requirements. They are commonly used to manufacture structural components like frames, brackets, and beams, and can be applied in photovoltaic frames, doors and windows, and structural profiles.
• Pipes: Pipes refer to hollow cylindrical materials designed for carrying pressure and fluid transmission. They are commonly used in the production of lightweight and high-strength pipelines and components, applicable in oil pipelines, hydrogen pipelines, water supply pipelines, and gas pipelines, among others.

Cathay's bio-based polyamide continuous fiber-reinforced composites possess multiple outstanding properties, giving them a significant competitive advantage in lightweight design, high-performance requirements, and complex engineering applications.

• High Strength and High Modulus: With exceptional tensile strength (≥1000 MPa) and high modulus, it can withstand significant mechanical loads, making it suitable for applications that demand high strength and rigidity.
• Impact Resistance: It has excellent impact resistance (notched impact strength >180 kJ/㎡), allowing it to maintain stability when subjected to shocks or vibrations.
• Heat Resistance: The material has a heat distortion temperature greater than 250°C, making it suitable for high-temperature applications.
• Low Density: With a density of approximately 1.85 g/cm3, it's only 1/4 of steel's density, reducing material costs and overall weight, ideal for lightweight designs.
• Eco-Friendly: The bio-based material reduces reliance on petroleum, lowers energy consumption during production. The thermoplastic nature of the product supports recyclability.
• Excellent Processing: Suitable for injection molding, extrusion, pultrusion, and compression molding.

Integrated Solutions Empowering Diverse Applications

Based on its superior performance and eco-friendly properties, Cathay Biotech's bio-based polyamide continuous fiber-reinforced composites show great potential across various fields, including automotive lightweighting (both passenger and commercial vehicles), construction, and alternative energy sectors. Its lightweight, high-strength, and flexible design capabilities not only meet the high-performance demands of complex engineering but also lead the way in lightweight innovation, making it an ideal material choice for replacing steel, aluminum, and traditional plastics. This brings significant economic value and scale benefits. Additionally, Cathay offers customers integrated solutions, including high-performance materials, structural design and simulation, molding processes and equipment, and product applications. By developing materials to achieve integrated design, Cathay enhances production efficiency and help customers reduce costs, increase efficiency, and improve quality.

For passenger vehicle lightweighting, Cathay Biotech’s thermoplastic bio-based composites, with their high strength (>500 MPa), high modulus (>22 GPa), flame retardancy, weather resistance, high electrical resistance, and integrated molding capabilities, are ideal for new energy vehicle battery pack materials. They offer high-performance, integrated solutions for battery packs, including top covers, lower case, underbody shield, cooling pipelines, and high-voltage connectors, achieving a weight reduction of 40%-50% compared to metal materials. In addition to battery pack materials, Cathay also provides high-performance, lightweight material solutions for other automotive components such as the four doors, two hoods, engine bottom shields, seats, spare tire compartments, and thermal management systems.

For commercial vehicle lightweighting, Cathay Biotech’s bio-based composite panels offer excellent properties such as large dimensions, color customization, wear resistance, and moisture resistance. They provide superior material solutions for applications including containers and refrigerated vehicles. In practice, using Cathay’s 4mm bio-based composite panels as a replacement for 2mm Corten steel panels can achieve a significant weight reduction of 50%. The process is eco-friendly, with no need for painting or welding. Additionally, the panels offer enhanced corrosion resistance, meeting the demands of complex freight requirements. Cathay’s composite container samples have undergone extensive road testing with positive results, meeting high modulus and deformation resistance requirements. In cold chain logistics, Cathay’s bio-based polyamide composite solutions have also completed technical validation, maintaining excellent insulation performance without the need for nonwoven fabrics or adhesives between the skin and core, while reducing thickness, and being more environmentally friendly.

In the construction sector, Cathay Biotech’s bio-based composite building templates are suitable for applications such as modular housing, doors and windows, furniture, building templates, soundproof and thermal insulation panels, and cable trays. These materials offer excellent high-strength and high-modulus performance, with strength ≥1100 MPa, comparable to ultra-high-strength steel, and modulus ≥50 GPa, approaching that of aluminum. They can withstand high loads and pressures on construction sites while maintaining stability without deformation or damage. Cathay's 1mm bio-based composite building templates exceed the GB/T 8626 flame retardancy standard, ensuring that in the event of a fire, the building can provide sufficient safety protection and response capabilities to safeguard both the structure and its occupants. Additionally, using bio-based polyamide composites for lightweight solutions effectively reduces the overall carbon emissions of buildings. For modular construction needs, the thermoplastic nature of the material offers high production efficiency, ease of processing and assembly, and a turnover rate of ≥50 uses, providing customers with increased economic benefits.

In the field of alternative energy, Cathay Biotech offers a comprehensive material solution covering the entire chain of "production, transportation, storage, and application." This involves integrating bio-based polyamide thermoplastic composite materials into various new energy applications, including photovoltaic frames, wind turbine beams/blades, hydrogen transportation pipelines, hydrogen storage tanks/stations, and hydrogen cylinder.

For example, photovoltaic frames made from Cathay's bio-based polyamide continuous fiber-reinforced composites can reduce carbon footprints by 80% compared to the mainstream aluminum alloy frames on the market. These frames offer outstanding specific strength and tensile strength, along with low material costs, excellent weather resistance, light weight, insulation, and aesthetic appeal, making them ideal for various scenarios, including saline-alkaline environments, offshore installations, and BIPV/BAPV systems.

Additionally, Cathay’s bio-based thermoplastic composite pipeline materials provide safe and efficient solutions for hydrogen energy storage and transportation. Compared to traditional steel pipelines, these materials can reduce weight by approximately 40% while achieving high pressure resistance levels (4-20 MPa). They also offer excellent corrosion resistance and barrier properties, eliminating the risk of hydrogen embrittlement.

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Cathay Biotech is dedicated to leading the composite materials industry with high-performance and sustainable new material choices. Our goal is to help clients achieve outstanding economic benefits while minimizing environmental impact. We look forward to collaborating with partners across the entire industry chain to explore more innovative and efficient eco-friendly applications and to advance the development of a global circular economy.