By Qian Xin, CNITECH

Excellent performance, bright market prospect

Combining the characteristics of carbon fiber and metal materials, carbon fiber reinforced metal composites do not only have the advantages of high specific strength, high specific modulus, low thermal expansion, but also display high temperature resistance, high thermal conductivity, high electrical conductivity, radiation resistance and fatigue resistance.
At present, carbon fiber reinforced metal composites have been widely applied in automotive, aviation, aerospace, national defense and other fields. Increasing demand for high impact resistance, thermal conductivity, vibration and shock absorption properties from various end-use industries is driving the growth of the carbon fiber reinforced metal composites market.
An overseas market research and consulting firm, Industry ARC has recently released Carbon Fiber Reinforced Metal Composites Market, which forecasted that the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of carbon fiber reinforced metal composites market would reach 10.5% in 2020-2025 and world market size would total US$27.57 billion by 2025.

Carbon fiber reinforced AI-based composites in dominant position

Currently, carbon fiber reinforced metal composites use many types of matrix, such as aluminum (AI), magnesium (Mg), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), titanium (Ti) etc. Of them, AI-based composites find the widest applications and took up the largest share of over 35% in the world carbon fiber reinforced metal composites market in 2019. 
Carbon fiber reinforced AI-based composites have the advantages of high weight ratio, low thermal expansion, and excellent creep, wear resistance and fatigue resistance. They have gradually replaced cast iron and other materials in various fields.
Aluminum is abundant worldwide. In addition, the forming and processing of carbon fiber reinforced AI-based composites can be achieved by using conventional equipment and processes. Therefore, the preparation and production of AI-based composites are more economical and easier to promote and apply than other metal composites.  

Significant demand from automotive, aviation and aerospace industries

Automotive industry posts the fastest growth in end-use markets of carbon fiber reinforced metal composites. Carbon fiber reinforced Mg-based composites can be used for steering wheel damping shafts, piston rings, brackets, gearbox housings and other parts, while carbon fiber reinforced AI-based composites can be used for brake rotors, brake pistons, brake pads and other brake system components and automobiles structure such as connecting rod. The CAGR of carbon fiber reinforced metal composites for auto-use is estimated at 13% in 2020-2025. 
Carbon fiber reinforced metal composites have been widely used in the aerospace industry, as they have excellent thermal insulation properties and can withstand extreme pressures. The increasing demand for lightweight and high-strength materials in the automotive and aerospace sectors is fueling the growth of the carbon fiber reinforced metal composites market.

COVID-19 deals a blow in the near term

The coronavirus outbreak has been crippling the automotive industry. Data from China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) showed that, China’s auto sales slumped by 92% in the first half of February 2020.
Reduced auto production and sales dampen demand for carbon fiber reinforced metal composites, which may to some extent cap the market expansion. But with the pandemic being under control in China, domestic auto production and sales regained growth, rising by 22.5% and 11.6% year on year, respectively in June. In the longer term, the pandemic may have limited impact on the carbon fiber reinforced metal composites market.

High energy consumption in production and recovery hinders market development

The development of carbon fiber reinforced metal composites also faces challenges, such as high energy guzzling during the production process, which generates higher costs than copper and aluminum. This thus hampers the growth of carbon fiber reinforced metal composites market.
Apart from that, unlike other metal and non-metal materials, carbon fiber reinforced metal composites cannot be biodegraded, so they can’t be disposed of by landfill. It is very difficult to recycle carbon fiber, which requires a large amount of energy, and the mechanical properties of carbon fiber decrease significantly after recycling. The long-existing carbon fiber wastes may be harmful to the environment and will become one of the main factors restricting the growth of the carbon fiber reinforced metal composites market.
Carbon fiber reinforced metal composites have great potential to replace existing non-reinforced metals and alloys in aviation, automotive, petrochemical and other fields. Further research is in need to develop the best dispersion technology and process to achieve uniform dispersion of carbon fiber in metal matrix and give full play to its excellent performance. This is one of the research hotspots in this field.
Moreover, carbon fiber reinforced metal composites display even better mechanical properties, physical properties, and electrical/thermal conductivity after surface modification of carbon fiber by using functional carbon materials such as carbon nanotubes (CNT) and graphene. Therefore, the use of such modified carbon fibers to replace traditional carbon fibers may also be the future research direction.