Carbon Fiber Grids Replace Steel as Innovative Concrete Reinforcement

08-16-2013 Carbon Fiber Grids Replace Steel as Innovative Concrete Reinforcement Facade panels with carbon fiber 3D grid reinforcement on a new factory building for Alphabeton AG in B ron (Switzerland)

The corrosion resistance of carbon fibers permits thin concrete facades

Wiesbaden, August 16, 2013. The three-dimensional carbon fiber reinforcement newly developed by SGL Group - The Carbon Company and V. FRAAS Solutions in Textile GmbH has passed the practical test. Using these three-dimensional carbon fiber grids as reinforcement, it was possible to produce concrete facade panels only 26 mm thick. A steel-reinforced facade panel of similar size has a minimum thickness of 100 mm.

The facade panels were installed on a new factory building for Alphabeton AG in B ron (Switzerland), in which precast concrete elements will be produced. Alphabeton AG are specialists in concrete products manufactured from high-performance and ultrahigh-performance concrete (UHPC) and make full use of innovative technologies.

Hans-Peter Felder, who is responsible for research & development at Alphabeton, said: We were looking for a solution that would enable us to produce thin concrete facade panels in large dimensions. The new 3D carbon fiber grids impressed us with their light weight and corrosion resistance and were easy and convenient to process .

Peter Weber, Vice President Sales & Marketing, Business Unit Carbon Fibers & Composite Materials of SGL Group, said: In this application, we particularly exploit the corrosion resistance of our carbon fibers. Thanks to this advantageous property, we can dispense with the thick concrete covering obligatory with steel-reinforced concrete and produce thin concrete elements .

V. FRAAS Solutions in Textile GmbH has developed a production plant in which the new 3D textile reinforcement based on SIGRAFIL C carbon fibers from SGL Group can be manufactured in large dimensions for the first time.

These structural reinforcing materials based on carbon fibers are also being used in the repair and renovation sector. As a result of the special properties of carbon fibers, such as high strength and stiffness combined with light weight, bridges and buildings can be permanently renovated.

Technical Details of the Fa ade Panels Used

Design: ventilated curtain wall covering a total area of 450 m

Approx. 350 facade panels

Facade panel dimensions: 865 x 1620 mm, thickness: 26 mm

Structure of the SIGRATEX 3D carbon fiber reinforcement: two layers of carbon fiber nets spaced 12 mm apart, connected by compression-resistant pile threads

is a registered trademarks of the SGL Group companies

About SGL Group - The Carbon Company SGL Group is one of the world's leading manufacturers of carbon-based products and materials. It has a comprehensive portfolio ranging from carbon and graphite products to carbon fibers and composites. SGL Group's core competencies are its expertise in high-temperature technology as well as its applications and engineering know-how gained over many years. These competencies enable the Company to make full use of its broad material base. SGL Group's carbon-based materials combine several unique properties such as very good electrical and thermal conductivity, heat and corrosion resistance as well as high mechanical strength combined with low weight. Due to industrialization in the growth regions of Asia and Latin America and increased substitution of traditional with innovative materials, there is a growing demand for SGL Group's high-performance materials and products. Products from SGL Group are used predominantly in the steel, aluminum, automotive and chemical industries as well as in the semiconductor, solar and LED sectors and in lithium-ion batteries. Carbon-based materials and products are also being used increasingly in the wind power, aerospace and defense industries.

With 45 production sites in Europe, North America and Asia as well as a service network covering more than 100 countries, SGL Group is a company with a global presence. In 2012, the Company's workforce of around 6,700 employees generated sales of 1,709 million. The Company's head office is located in Wiesbaden.

Further information on the SGL Group can be found online at: www.sglgroup.com.

Important note: This press release may contain forward-looking statements based on the information currently available to us and on our current projections and assumptions. By nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, as a consequence of which actual developments and results can deviate significantly from these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not to be understood as guarantees. Rather, future developments and results depend on a number of factors; they entail various risks and unanticipated circumstances and are based on assumptions which may prove to be inaccurate. These risks and uncertainties include, for example, unforeseeable changes in political, economic, legal, and business conditions, particularly relating to our main customer industries, such as electric steel production, to the competitive environment, to interest rate and exchange rate fluctuations, to technological developments, and to other risks and unanticipated circumstances. Other risks that in our opinion may arise include price developments, unexpected developments connected with acquisitions and subsidiaries, and unforeseen risks associated with ongoing cost savings programs. SGL Group does not intend or assume any responsibility to revise or otherwise update these forward-looking statements.

LINK:	http://www.sglgroup.com/cms/international/press-lounge/news/2013/08/08...
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