Reliance looks to NAL to make carbon fibre

Bangalore: Reliance Industries Ltd plans to source locally developed technology from state-owned National Aerospace Laboratories, or NAL, to make carbon fibre, a scarce, steel-like material used in building light aircraft.
India’s largest private sector company by sales would make the carbon fibre at a 4,000-tonne plant in Vadodara, Gujarat, using technology developed at NAL, an arm of India’s biggest public research agency, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, people familiar with the development said.
The people, who did not want to be named, would not disclose investment details because an agreement for technology transfer is yet to be signed. Questions sent to Reliance spokeswoman Sharmili Vashani on Thursday had not been answered until late Sunday.
Carbon fibre, produced from polymers, is used to make composites that are as strong as steel, but nearly half its weight. These composites have a longer lifetime and are less prone to corrosion, and are used in products ranging from Formula One cars to pipes that carry petroleum products. It is also used in the manufacture of fighter planes, rockets and missiles.
13/07/08 K. Raghu/Livemint

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Jul 2008