VAP^® infusion-moulded carbon fibre spar caps

PAN-based carbon fibres with a high carbonization degree (>99%) and their industrial production process were first developed in the 1960s.

The high mechanical performance (tensile E-modulus and strength) of this new material offered new opportunities for composite applications, but it was also priced accordingly for decades. This limited its use to industries that either could sell their products at a high price, had no other technical alternatives or could afford it like e.g. the aerospace industry.
This situation changed around the 2000s: New suppliers emerged and made available ‘industrial-grade’, high tow-count carbon fibres (~240GPa / 4000 MPa, 50K) at lower prices and enabled other industries to use high volumes for their applications.