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Project for multi-million dollar UHT Carbon Fiber System landed

26 Oct '12

2 min read

Harper International, world leader in thermal processing solutions for advanced materials, has been awarded a project by a client for an ultra-high temperature (UHT) carbon fiber furnace rated to 2700°C. Harper's unique system will be utilized in the production of high modulus carbon fiber, primarily used in applications requiring high rigidity.

A furnace that is required to operate at such high temperatures necessitates inventive design for the materials of construction, sealing technology, and atmosphere control. Most traditional materials would be consumed as part of the reaction with exposure to such high temperatures for extended periods of time.

Harper employs its years of experience and multiple proprietary features to implement systems that perform reliably for extended periods under these extreme conditions. Additionally, this system is designed to accommodate argon or nitrogen atmospheres and with specialty lower voltage elements to avoid plasma arcing which can compromise the production line.

“We continue to prove to the market that Harper is the singular choice for high temperature thermal processing solutions, especially for carbon fiber production and especially in the ultra-high temperature arena”, commented Charles Miller, President, Harper International.

“With increasingly larger scales of production, the challenges in a system at such high temperatures as these are intensified. Our design focuses on absolute system integrity to maximize furnace life, incorporating ultra gas tight technology and unique heating element designs for the most advanced system available in carbon fiber production,” commented Peter Witting, PhD, Senior Process Technology Engineer at Harper.

The revolutionary Harper system will be utilized in the production of approximately 100 tons per year of specialty carbon fibers, compared to Harper's industry standard three meter wide design which typically produces 1500-2200 tons per year for many of the world's leading carbon fiber producers.

Harper International