The role of carbon fiber in a net-zero world: an interview with Park Duk-myung

Aside from large scale carbon reduction efforts such as CCS, changes for a net-zero future are being made through substances as small as carbon fiber. One expert in carbon fiber is Park Duk-myung, Sales Manager of the Composite Materials Division at Toray, a major chemicals and advanced materials business based in Japan. A conversation with Park introduced the crucial role carbon fiber plays in manufacturing materials and contributing to carbon reduction efforts. 

What exactly is carbon fiber, and why is it important?

Carbon fiber is an advanced material that can replace common metals such as steel or aluminum. It is a material that combines the strength of steel with the lightness of aluminum, so it is strong but lightweight.

In Korea, what industries or products use carbon fiber technology?

Among the products that apply carbon fiber, the most well-known one would be airplanes. It is actually used in the fuselage structure of Boeing aircraft for lightweight applications. For example, in the largest aircraft Boeing 787, the entire fuselage is made of carbon fiber. Because it is stronger than steel and much lighter, it is widely used as a lightweight material.

Outside of aviation, the space industry, such as satellites and rockets, is another field where carbon fiber is increasingly applied. It helps provide rigidity and lightness, so development in this area is ongoing.

In everyday products, carbon fiber is also used in sports equipment such as tennis rackets, badminton rackets, and golf clubs because of its strong rigidity and elasticity. It is also used in carbon bicycles, as the body frame of those bicycles uses carbon fiber, allowing athletes to ride lightweight yet durable and safe bikes.

As an advanced material, do you think carbon fiber contributes to environmental protection or carbon reduction?

Yes, as I mentioned, when carbon fiber is used in aircraft fuselages to replace steel and other metals, data shows that fuel efficiency improves by about 20%. In addition, carbon fiber is used in wind turbine blades — the large rotating blades need to be both lightweight and durable, and carbon fiber helps achieve that balance.

And in fact, this product is currently being applied to the cars that people drive today. For example, Hyundai produces a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle called NEXO, and this hydrogen fuel cell car requires a high-pressure container, a tank that can hold hydrogen gas. That tank is entirely manufactured using our company’s carbon fiber.

Furthermore, in the future, carbon fiber will not only be used in such automotive tanks but also inside what people commonly call fuel cells in the materials used within the stack battery. So environmentally, it is a highly eco-friendly material for the future. And in the case of airplanes, using carbon fiber helps lighten the overall weight, which means reducing fossil fuel consumption while maintaining the same level of performance.

As a company, do you have any goals toward achieving carbon neutrality through the eco-friendly qualities of carbon fiber?

Yes. Our company’s long-term goal is to declare carbon neutrality by 2050. We’ve established milestones every ten years—for 2030, 2040, and 2050— to track our progress. Of course, achieving full carbon neutrality right away is difficult, so we’ve structured a phased plan to prepare over each decade. In the short term, our goal is to reduce carbon emissions by 30%, and this isn’t something we can achieve alone. We plan to work collaboratively with partner companies and clients through various programs. By 2040, we aim for a 50% reduction, and by 2050, we hope to achieve complete carbon neutrality.

As shown in this figure, the carbon fiber we develop and produce is used to manufacture airplanes, which directly contributes to reducing carbon emissions. Once these aircraft reach the end of their lifecycle, their bodies and parts are recycled to produce laptop and PC cases made from carbon fiber. Then, even those recycled products, such as laptops, undergo a second round of recycling, where the materials are reused as filters for agricultural technology or as raw materials needed in farming.

In this way, we are building a circular recycling system, creating continuous reuse across industries. The research and development for this closed-loop recycling concept has already been completed, and we are now in the stage of actively applying it in practice.

Would you say that this recyclability is the biggest difference compared to traditional materials like steel?

Steel can also be melted and reused, but carbon fiber is part of what’s called composite materials. Traditionally, composites were very difficult to recycle and most of the time, they had to be disposed of or incinerated. But now, since environmental issues are becoming more important, we are researching and developing how to recycle these composite materials into other industries and create a positive circular cycle.

So would you say that being eco-friendly and aiming for carbon neutrality are not only goals but also responsibilities for a company?

Yes, exactly. Every year, we set new targets. More specifically, we collect data in collaboration with other companies to track our carbon footprint. We then analyze that data to identify areas where we can reduce emissions further and collaborate on new solutions.

Is your company also involved in CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage)?

Yes, our group is, of course, participating. Rather than dividing tasks regionally, we are currently in the early stages of establishing the system and managing data toward our long-term goals.

How supportive is the government in terms of regulations or policies for technological development?

The government does provide some support for policies related to carbon neutrality and carbon reduction. However, rather than direct financial aid, their support is more about setting directions and shared goals for the future, encouraging companies to voluntarily find ways to achieve those goals through dialogue and cooperation.

Does Toray collaborate internationally for carbon fiber technology development?

Yes, our company has its headquarters in Japan, and we manufacture by integrating Japanese technology into Korea. Globally, the Toray Group collaborates with companies in Europe, the US, and Asia. Europe, in particular, leads in environmental policies, so we’re incorporating many of their experiences domestically. At the same time, our parent company in Japan sets and shares group-wide goals and strategies for sustainability, which we follow closely.

Has there been any technological improvement to reduce carbon emissions during the carbon fiber production process?

Yes. As mentioned earlier, one of our main focuses is developing bio-based raw materials instead of petroleum-based chemicals for producing carbon fiber. Research and development in this area are ongoing.

How do you hope the carbon fiber industry will evolve in the future?

In the future, the biggest global issue will undoubtedly be environmental sustainability. To pass on a more eco-friendly life for the next generation, the automotive industry is shifting from petroleum-based internal combustion engines to hydrogen-powered, eco-friendly vehicles.

In aerospace and other mobility sectors, such as UAM (Urban Air Mobility) and AAM (Advanced Air Mobility), carbon fiber is already being developed and applied. We believe that continued use and application of these materials will help achieve environmental and sustainability goals. In addition, carbon fiber contributes to energy industries such as wind power and renewable energy systems. So, we aim to keep advancing research and development to support industries that both require and generate clean energy.