ALTRA FLEX® by RATH: the 1st European oxide ceramic continuous fiber

Building on decades of experience with premium refractory products, RATH has developed an oxide ceramic continuous fiber that surpasses expectations: ALTRA FLEX^®, available in three grades, enhances the company’s portfolio of innovative, future-ready solutions.

RATH has been developing oxide ceramic continuous fibers for several years. Production of ALTRA FLEX^® in M75, MK85 und K99 grades recently began at RATH’s facility in Mönchengladbach, Germany. This positions RATH as the first European manufacturer to offer tailored solutions for both composite manufacturers and processors of temperature-resistant fabrics.

ALTRA FLEX^® is outstanding in the industry and maintains both strength and flexibility up to 1200 oC. Other advantages include high thermal shock resistance, elevated creep resistance, excellent dimensional stability and low thermal conductivity. The roving is ideal for fabrics, composites, weaving, braiding and more. This makes it a future-oriented material in many industries and fields of application.

Important raw material for the production of oxide ceramic matrix composites

Oxide ceramic continuous fiber is widely used, especially as reinforcing fibers in various matrices (CMC, MMC). Due to its high tensile strength and stiffness as well as its excellent chemical and thermal resistance, continuous fiber can, for example, provide ceramic matrices with quasi-ductile, damage-tolerant fracture behavior. This continuous fiber is an important raw material for the production of oxide ceramic matrix composites.

An annual production of up to 10 tons of ALTRA FLEX^® is planned

To date, RATH has developed the mullite fiber M75 (with an elevated creep resistance as well as a tensile strength of up to 1,500 MPa and a modulus of elasticity of 200 GPa), the mullite-corundum fiber MK85 (with a tensile strength of up to 1,900 MPa and a modulus of elasticity of 230 GPa) and the corundum fiber K99 (with a tensile strength of up to 2,500 MPa and a modulus of elasticity of 350 GPa). Initially, up to 10 tons of ALTRA FLEX^® oxide ceramic continuous fiber are to be produced annually. ALTRA FLEX^® was created as part of the HORIZON EUROPE project InVECOF (Innovative Value Chains for European Ceramic Oxide Fibers). 

→ More information: www.rath-group.com/altraflex