One of Rosatom’s projects is the development of polymeric composite materials based on carbon fibre (an organic material containing 92–99.99% carbon). Domestic carbon fibre technology was initially developed back in the 1980s by companies in the nuclear sector. In comparison with conventional construction materials (aluminum, steel, etc.), carbon fibre composites boast extremely high ratings for rigidity, reliability, longevity when working under severe loads, in high temperatures and in corrosive environments. We are now able to produce carbon composites that are 10 times stronger and 5 times lighter than steel. These materials are essential in load bearing structures where it is critical to increase strength while reducing weight. Polymer composites are widely used in the aerospace, nuclear, automotive, construction, and ship building industries, as well as for the construction of bridges and pipelines.
In 2009 further development of composite technologies was entrusted to the Composite Holding Company, a newly established enterprise that brought together all the companies in Russia engaged in the production of high-strength and highly modulus carbon fibre, carbon-based textiles and pre-impregnated reinforcing materials (known in the trade as “pre-pregs”). The Holding Company subsidiaries include Composite-Volokno (a producer of polyacryliconitrile fibre - the raw material for the production of carbon fibre), as well as Rosatom enterprises producing carbon fibre: Argon, ZUKM and ALABUGA-FIBRE. In particular, the state-of-art ALABUGA-FIBRE plant was constructed at the behest of Rosatom in the Alaguba special economic area in the Republic of Tatarstan. Its annual capacity is 1,700 tonnes of carbon fibre with predefined values. The plant was commissioned in 2015. Rosatom is planning to construct the second stage of the plant to take 7% of the global carbon fibre market by 2020.