Mitsubishi Rayon buys U.S. carbon fiber plant

Mitsubishi Rayon Co. Ltd. has acquired the SGL Carbon Fibers site in Evanston, Wyo. Composites World reports that the addition of this site will expand Mitsubishi Rayon’s North American business to meet the growing demand for composites in wind turbine blades and automotive applications.

SGL Group upgraded production lines in Muir of Ord, Scotland, which the company says are now capable of producing the carbon fibers that were produced solely at their Wyoming site. Offsetting the need for the site allowed the SGL Group to sell the Wyoming production site to MRC. The site currently employs 50 people.

MRC is expanding the capacity of regular tow carbon production at its commercial operation in Sacramento, Calif., as well as expanding production at its Otake Production Center. In effect, MRC predicts in 2017 its carbon fiber production capacity will go from 10,100 tons to 14,300 tons per year.

MRC expects its high-performance large tow carbon fiber will continue to support productivity in the molding of large components. The company will continue to apply its carbon fibers to fields such as compressed gas tanks and the aircraft industry.