Public Funding for Carbon Ceramics Ltd

This project focuses on the development of new processes to manufacture light weight, super strong material precursors based around a carbon-fibre backbone structure and a carbon ceramic matrix. These materials have many applications, including aircraft and automotive braking, rocket motors, jet turbines and as lightweight protective armour. Carbon ceramics are a relatively new product and costs are high, typically £750-£1000 for a 2kg brake disc. This project will advance new ideas and technologies to significantly enhance the range and properties of available carbon-ceramics and reduce the manufacturing cost of these products, in order to widen their use across a range of industries. We propose the direct use of carbon fibre as a startinj.material, soutced from either recycled carbon fibre, which is now becoming available, or virgin material manufactured from a relatively low cost source. This material will then be processed and assembled into the desired shapes and forms, using novel technology which, if successful, will be patented (preliminary patent already filed). This process is conceptually extremely cost effective (less than half the cost of current technologies) and environmentally friendly with very low material waste levels and negligible C02 or toxic emissions. Additional benefits will be to introduce the use of recycled carbon fibre, and improve on product quality and time to manufacture (currently several months).