Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s (ORNL) researchers at the department of energy have revealed a carbon fibre production method that would reduce the cost by 50 per cent and the energy used in its production by more than 60 per cent, according to an ORNL press release.

“This accomplishment underscores the department of energy and Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s commitment to addressing our nation’s most pressing energy challenges, and the payoff could be significant. Automakers, consumers and the environment will realise tremendous benefits because of the investment just a few years ago in the carbon fiber technology facility,” said Thom Mason, ORNL director.

More than 90 per cent of the energy needed to manufacture the advanced composites is consumed in manufacturing the carbon fibre itself. Carbon fibre is produced by converting a carbon-containing polymer precursor fibre to pure carbon fibre through a carefully controlled series of heating and stretching steps.

In present commercial practice, the precursor, polyacrylonitrile (PAN), is chemically modified and optimised to maximise the mechanical properties of the end product. The high cost of specialty precursor materials and the conversion process are the principal contributors to the high cost of the end product.

“Our R&D into process improvements and the extensive validation work at the carbon fibre technology facility provide manufacturers and end use industries the confidence needed to invest in large-scale manufacturing, knowing there will be a market for this material,” said Gary Jacobs, ORNL’s interim associate lab director for energy and environmental sciences. 

ORNL is now making the new method available for licensing. Licensees companies would be able to use the carbon fibre technology facility to refine and validate carbon fibre manufacturing processes from May 15, the US government laboratory said. (NA)