Carbon fibre self-adhesive tape for rapid structural repairs (CarboTape)

Duct tape is used as a quick and easy way to reinforce and repair countless items in households and light industry, and the European market alone is worth £145 million per year. However, being made from cotton or glass fibre cloth with a low performance polymer coating and simple contact adhesive, it has limited performance so cannot be used for a host of more demanding, structural repairs such as automotive parts, sports equipment, marine and military applications. There is a clear gap in the market for a high-performance tape which can provide temporary or permanent reinforcement/repair in these more demanding applications. To meet this market demand, we will develop a highly innovative and potentially disruptive product, in the priority area of Manufacturing and Materials, with major opportunity for growth, especially in export markets. Our approach is to develop a structural self-adhesive tape, similar in concept to duct tape, based on high strength carbon fibre and a structural adhesive. We will use a novel method to produce ultra-thin, flexible carbon fibre tapes, pre-bonded with an engineering grade thermoplastic resin and coated on one side with an adhesive. This high-performance tape will be 20 times stiffer and 7 times stronger than cotton-based duct tape, whilst being much quicker, easier and safer to use than current carbon fibre-epoxy repair materials. The project will significantly enhance the growth and global competitiveness of Composites Evolution, leading to increased to increased turnover and job creation.