Carbon fibre is being used more and more extensively throughout the automotive industry. Manufacturers use it to reduce the weight of their vehicles, but also to add strength and resistance, particularly in the case of certain sports cars where carbon fibre is used for the seat shell, for example.
Its use could be threatened in Europe, however. The European Union (EU) is looking at declaring the material "dangerous," which would force several manufacturers to revise their practices.
Specifically, an amendment drafted by the European Parliament aims to add carbon fibre to the EU's list of hazardous materials. That list currently includes lead, cadmium, mercury and hexavalent chromium, materials that are sometimes still used in auto and aeronautical construction.
And why does the EU consider this material dangerous? The problem doesn’t have to do with any processes of the construction phase, but rather with the recycling stage. Experts argue that carbon fibre filaments can spread in the air and be harmful if they come into contact with the skin.
The EU is the first governmental entity in the world to consider declaring carbon fibre a dangerous material.
The amendment has to be debated and voted on in the European Parliament, but if the amendment is officially adopted, it will come into effect starting in 2029. That would force companies to gradually reduce the use of carbon fibre in their vehicles. The automotive industry alone accounts for up to 20 percent of all carbon fibre used in the world.
And of course, the news of a possible ban has sent ripples across the industry. Japanese daily Nikkei reported that shares of Japanese carbon fibre manufacturers fell sharply following the EU's announcement. Asian brands would be the hardest hit by the ban on the use of carbon fibre.
The firms Teijin, Toray Industries, and Mitsubishi Chemical represent 54 percent of the global carbon fibre manufacturing market. Europe accounts for the vast majority of other carbon fibre manufacturers.
We’ll be watching now to see what kind of response is forthcoming by the carbon fibre industry, a $5.5 billion USD business in 2024. Things are likely to get heated behind the scenes as players in the automotive sector make their voices heard.
Sports car manufacturers would be greatly affected by such a measure, as would those who use carbon fibre for the manufacture of their electric models.
2029 is still a long way off; there will be robust discussions, and if the measure is adopted, companies will have time to adapt.