Latest industry news
- 11 月 4, 2026EU Weighs Plastics Quotas, Glass-Fibre Split Widens, UK Thermoplastic Aerospace Project Starts: Composites Digest, 4 Nov 2026
- 11 月 2, 2026EU Signals Possible Quotas Ahead of China Talks; New Export Control Rules Take Effect 18 November
- 11 月 2, 2026Beijing Hydrogen Plan Targets CNY 40bn Industry by 2030; Composites Storage Equipment Prioritised
- 10 月 28, 2026Thermoplastic Airframe Hybrids, Type IV Hydrogen Tank Demos, Glass-Fibre Expansion and EU Trade Monitoring: Composites Digest, 28 Oct 2026
- 10 月 26, 2026TPU Expansion, Thermoplastic 3D-Printing Tender, Type IV Hydrogen Tank Award and Battery-Housing Pultrusion: Composites Digest, 26 Oct 2026
- 10 月 25, 2026可焊接热塑性板、干法缠绕 IV 型储氢瓶与国家场景试点平台：复材行业摘要，2026 年 10 月 25 日
Earlier coverage
Toray Cetex® TC1225 LMPAEK™ with TORAYCA™ T700 UD Tape Expands Qualification to AFP & Continuous Compression Molding
Toray Advanced Composites extends the qualification of its Cetex TC1225 LMPAEK thermoplastic composite system to TORAYCA T700 carbon fiber unidirectional tape, covering automated fiber placement (AFP), autoclave, out-of-autoclave and continuous compression molding for high-rate aerospace structures.
Daher × Victrex LMPAEK Wing Rib Wins JEC 2026 Innovation Award: Direct Stamping + Infrared Welding, 22% Weight Reduction
Daher produced a load-bearing wing rib in Victrex LMPAEK continuous carbon fiber thermoplastic composite via direct stamping and infrared welding — 22% lighter than aluminum, 15% lower assembly cost and 25% shorter cycle time, replacing rivets with welding.
SAMPE China 2026 Advanced Composites Innovation Awards: Thermoplastic Composites Take Center Stage
13 winners and 7 finalists span TPC, hydrogen storage and aerospace. Highlights include induction welding of thermoplastic composites, continuous carbon fiber/PA12 hydrogen cylinders, self-sensing thermoplastic deep-sea cables, and continuous carbon fiber/PEEK spinal fixation systems.
Weihai Carbon Fiber Chain: Ultra-Light 10 g/m² Prepreg in Mass Production; Thermoplastic UAV Molding Cut from 1 Day to 10 Minutes
Shandong Fucarbon mass-produces 10 g/m² ultra-light carbon fiber prepreg (cutting a metal fender from 4 kg to 1.2 kg); Huanbo Jingwei’s thermoplastic structural integration molding shortens UAV shell production from 1 day to 10 minutes per unit at roughly one-third lower cost.
Wuhan Large-Tow Carbon Fiber Aerospace Pilot Line to Roll Out by Year-End; Thermoplastic Composites Center Under Construction
Hubei’s “Sharp Blade” program — high-performance large-tow carbon fiber for aerospace — will deliver its first pilot products by year-end. The new Caidian Aerospace Composites R&D Center will produce thermoplastic composites seen as core material for next-generation aircraft fuselages.
Recycled Carbon Fiber Value-Add: Tenax Chopped Fibers and rCF/Flame-Retardant PC Nonwoven Prepreg Enable Fast Hot Pressing
Tenax Next launches R2S P513 / R2M P513 6 mm recycled chopped carbon fibers and R3S F/D-C21A200L recycled carbon fiber / flame-retardant PC nonwoven prepreg — press cycles compressed from tens of minutes to minutes, targeting rail and aircraft interiors, with Digital Product Passports for CBAM compliance.
Automotive “Recycled Credibility” Becomes a Hard Requirement: BASF Ultradur RC1 (30% PCR-PET) and EU FOREST Project
BASF launches glass-reinforced PBT/PET with 30% post-consumer recycled PET targeting automotive structural parts; the EU FOREST project builds aircraft cabin ceiling parts from recycled carbon fiber organic sheets and bio-based PA — 35% lighter with over 50% sustainable content.
Thermoplastic AFP Equipment Maturity Jumps: KraussMaffei × DLR +40% Efficiency; Global AFP Market to Reach $2.15B by 2028
KraussMaffei and DLR’s thermoplastic AFP system combines induction heating with infrared temperature control — roughly 40% higher lay-up efficiency than thermoset processes with scrap below 5%. MarketsandMarkets projects the global AFP/ATL equipment market from $1.28B (2023) to $2.15B (2028), with Asia-Pacific share rising from 18% to 28%.
Industry Expansion: Gardner Composites Index Expands for 8 Consecutive Months; Record Global Carbon Fiber Demand of 224,510 Tons
The Gardner Business Index rose to 55.9 in August — eight consecutive months of expansion. Global carbon fiber composite demand reached a record 224,510 tons in 2025, with new orders surging and the composites manufacturing index hitting a 2026 high of 57.6 in June.
Thermoplastic Composite Pipe Opens Ultra-Deepwater Market: Strohm Wins Petrobras Contract (1,500 m Water Depth)
Strohm wins a Petrobras contract to supply thermoplastic composite pipe (TCP) for offshore water injection and gas lift at 1,500 m water depth. Baker Hughes has also signed an MOU with Strohm to develop 3,000 m-class hybrid flexible pipe — TCP replaces traditional steel with lightweight, corrosion-resistant construction.
Thermoplastic Carbon Fiber Composite Pricing Benchmarks: PAEK Aerospace UD Tapes at $130-210/kg; Global Market to Reach $3.73B by 2035
A market model puts 2025 global thermoplastic carbon fiber composite shipments at 24,600 tons with a blended realized price of $72.40/kg (a $1.78B market), growing to $3.73B by 2035 (7.68% CAGR). Price bands by system: PAEK aerospace primary-structure UD tapes at $130-210/kg; PPS tapes and organo-sheets at $55-85/kg; PA6/PA66 organo-sheets at $28-46/kg; long-fiber pellets at $22-34/kg. Toray’s Cetex TC1225 LMPAEK fabric also entered the NCAMP database in December 2025.
Pre-Impregnated Tape Materials to 2035: Automotive Becomes Fastest-Growing End Market (CAGR 9-12%) as Recyclable Thermoplastic Tapes Scale Up
Global prepreg tape demand: aerospace holds 45% (787/A350 AFP narrow tapes), automotive 20% and fastest-growing at 9-12% CAGR to 2035 (battery housings, B-pillars, roof panels), wind energy 15% (high-modulus UD tapes for 100 m+ blade spar caps). Recyclable thermoplastic prepreg tapes are winning share in interior and engine-bay parts, while PFAS-related regulations create uncertainty for conventional formulations.
Automotive Lightweighting Cost Turning Point: CFRP Penetration Tops 15%; BYD LFT-D Battery Housing at 92-Second Cycle, UL94 V-0 Certified
Automotive CFRP penetration passed 15% in 2026, with new-energy OEMs paying 32% premiums for T1100G-based solutions. BYD’s LFT-D blade battery pack housing achieves a 92-second cycle at 91.7% yield, passing UL94 V-0 flame-retardant certification. On recycling, pyrolytic CFRP carbon powder reaches 99.2% purity, but high-value reuse paths remain unresolved.
Recycled Carbon Fiber + Thermoplastic Tapes Pass Full Aircraft-Level Certifications: A220 Floor Beams, 787 Interiors, A350 Clamps
Multiple high-performance thermoplastic systems completed full industrial certification in 2026 with commercial-scale recycled carbon fiber deployment. Victrex, Solvay and Toray supply rCF-based PEKK and LM-PAEK tapes certified for Airbus A220 floor beams/brackets and Boeing 787 interiors; the Porsche 911 GT3 R uses an rCF/Elium roof; BMW iX battery housing uses rCF/PA6; A350 clamps/brackets are certified in rCF/PEKK; the EU Clean Sky 2 FACOMP project’s rCF/LM-PAEK fuselage stringers (rCF content over 40%) passed lightning and fire requirements.