According to V.K Saraswat, member of NITI Aayoga, India will start manufacturing T100 carbon fibre in coming 2.5 years. Carbon Fibre is basically composed of Carbon atoms and are about 5 to 10 micrometers in diameter. The fibre is an advanced material which is characterised for its strength, stiffness and low weight. It has high strength to weight ratio, high tensile strength, low thermal expansion and high chemical resistance and temperature tolerance. Â Several thousand carbon fibers are bundled together to form a tow. They can be used independently or woven into a fabric.
Applications Of T100..
The T100 carbon fibre, on account of its properties like having high tensile strength and elasticity compared to steel and aluminum is widely used.
- It is used in the Aerospace, Defence, and Civil Engineering industries.
- It is used in making bulletproof jackets, aircraft, hydrogen cylinders, missiles, launch vehicles, and bridges.
- the T100 is used across all industries ranging from Aviation to Automobile to Renewable and Marine industry on account of its versatility and high performance.
T100 Manufacturing…
The government’s move towards indigenous production of T100 fibre is to overcome the import licensing restrictions. According to Mr. Saraswat, “The licensing pattern of foreign nations is such that they are not giving us T100 material for any strategic applications. We want to overcome this and therefore the government’s programme is to promote development of its indigenous production.”
Thus, the government is planning to replace metals with Carbon fibre components in some key sectors like Aerospace, Defence etc. This move along with other initiatives like National Technical Textile Mission will help India in reducing its import dependency. For currently, India imports it from the U.S, France and Japan etc. By establishing domestic manufacturing units, India will able to circumvent the proposed European Union carbon tax. Domestic production of T100 will help mitigate the impact of such taxes. Last but not the least, it will enhance India’s self-reliance in high tech industries. India will soon be able to produce critical components using advanced materials on its own.
Mr. Saraswat added, “I am confident that in the coming 2-2.5 years India will be able to make its own carbon fibre T100 which can be used in manufacturing of hydrogen cylinders, missiles, launch vehicles, aircraft, bullet proof jackets and construction of bridges.”
The work towards making this vision a reality has already started. While speaking at CII conference, Mr. Saraswat shared that already HAL, BARC and MIDHANI are engaged in the efforts to start carbon fibre manufacturing in India.
All in all, India is not only expanding its manufacturing capabilities but also paving the way for innovation and growth in the country’s industrial sector.