An advanced electron beam process
for desizing textile fabrics

The desizing of textile reinforcement structures, e.g. made of carbon fibres, is necessary to remove disruptive sizing agents from the fibres and to improve the fibre-matrix bond. Even when carbon textiles are stored for a period of more than five years, the sizing agent can age, meaning that the original function of ensuring optimal bonding between the matrix and the fibres is no longer maintained. For this purpose, it makes sense to remove the sizing. The textile can then either be treated with a new sizing or laminated with a different matrix polymer.

The e-beam process has been further developed; in this process, high-energy accelerated electrons strike the surface of textile fabrics and destroy any adhering sizing. A second fibre-friendly and less energy-intensive process based on electron beams was also tested. Using a laboratory setup, the STFI scientists, together with the project partner, were able to demonstrate the feasibility of the process and provide initial recommendations for its transfer to industrial scale.