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   Fibre reinforced polymers  evaluated  
Fibre reinforced polymers are composite materials consisting of fibres dispersed in a continuous matrix phase. Due to a number of characteristic advantages, fibre reinforced polymers have a great future potential for railways and other transportation technologies. Because of their low weight they can make a decisive contribution to the design of light-weight vehicles.
Technology field: Mass reduction
open main section General information
close main section General criteria
  close sub-section Status of development: in use
    Fibre reinforced polymers are currently used in some railway applications for parts of car-bodies and interior panels, often in the form of sandwich composites. Other applications, especially structural applications (including motor parts etc) are still further down the road. An example for an almost marketable structural application is the flywheel storage technology as used in the Lirex experimental train. The rotor of the flywheel is primarily made of carbon fibre polymer material.
  Time horizon for broad application: 5 - 10 years
    (no details available)
  Expected technological development: highly dynamic
    (no details available)
    Motivation:
   
  • Weight saving
  • Corrosion resistance
  • Taylored performance (cf. General criteria - Benefits)
  Benefits (other than environmental): big
   

Fibre-reinforced polymers offer a number of advantages over steel (and other metals). Mair 1999 gives the following list:

  • High specific strength properties (20-40% weight savings)
  • Ability to fabricate directional mechanical properties
  • Outstanding corrosion resistance
  • Excellent fatigue and fracture resistance
  • Lower tooling cost alternatives
  • Lower thermal expansion properties
  • Simplification of manufacturing by parts integration
  • Potential for rapid process cycles
  • Ability to meet stringent dimensional stability requirements
  Barriers: medium
    Highly dependent on type of application in railways.
    Success factors:
    (no details available)
  Applicability for railway segments: high
    Type of traction:  electric - DC, electric - AC, diesel
    Type of transportation:  passenger - main lines, passenger - high speed, passenger - regional lines, passenger - suburban lines, freight
    (no details available)
    Grade of diffusion into railway markets:
  Diffusion into relevant segment of fleet: < 5%
  Share of newly purchased stock: < 20%
    (no details available)
  Market potential (railways): high
    (no details available)
    Example:
    (no details available)
open main section Environmental criteria
open main section Economic criteria
open main section Application outside railway sector
open main section Overall rating
References / Links:  Mair 1999;  Pehnt 2001
Attachments:
Related projects:
Contact persons:
 date created: 2002-10-09
 
 
© UIC - International Union of Railways 2003
 
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