Lighter raw materials are the key to more useful and sustainable end products. However, lower weight must never be achieved at the expense of a loss in performance. Composite materials from Covestro achieve the previously impossible: They can be used to design and manufacture components that are not only extremely light and durable, but also offer unimagined creative freedom for product designers – for example in the automotive and electronics industries.

Covestro_In mold etching creates surface textures combined with unidirectional grains of f

Covestro Maezio™
Continuous Fiber-Reinforced ThermoPlastics (CFRTP)

CFRTP composites outperform metal
The best of both worlds

Five letters stand for one of the most exciting developments in the field of composite materials in recent years: CFRTP. It is the abbreviation of “Continuous Fiber-Reinforced Thermoplastics”. An admittedly somewhat cumbersome term, but it represents no less than an elegant revolution in the world of high-tech materials. For the first time, CFRTP combines the aesthetics and power of metal with the flexibility and design freedom of plastic.

CFRTP is made of ultra-thin tapes that are laminated to each other at certain angles to form sheets. Polycarbonate or thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), for example, are used as thermoplastic – i.e., freely moldable using heat – base materials, which are then reinforced by strands of carbon or glass fibers. The resulting sheets are extremely light, thin, rigid and firm. They also look, feel and sound like metal. As plastic, however, they are more flexible than metal and can be processed and refined very efficiently using a variety of processes. A high-quality appearance, lightness, robustness and versatile processing options: The combination of these advantages makes CFRTP an innovation that should soon push the boundaries of the possible in a whole range of applications. A new hotspot for composite innovations. The demand for robust yet lightweight materials is growing ever faster worldwide. The end products made from these are not only more practical and attractive for consumers – thanks to a longer product life and lower energy consumption during transportation, they also conserve our natural resources and the climate.

Covestro_In mold etching creates surface

The stuff designer dreams are made of

CFRTP has a lot to offer, not only because of its excellent physical properties, but also from an aesthetic point of view. This makes the material particularly interesting for product designers who want to give their creations fresh, exciting looks and new functionalities at the same time.