{"id":15827,"date":"2020-06-03T08:18:43","date_gmt":"2020-06-03T07:18:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.compositestoday.com\/?p=15827"},"modified":"2020-06-03T08:18:44","modified_gmt":"2020-06-03T07:18:44","slug":"research-graphene-carbon-fibre-affordable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.compositestoday.com\/2020\/06\/research-graphene-carbon-fibre-affordable\/","title":{"rendered":"Adding Graphene to Carbon Fibre Could Make it More Affordable"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Using a mix of computer simulations and laboratory experiments, researchers from Penn State<\/a> found that by adding small amounts of 2D graphene to the production process reduces the cost and increases the strength of the carbon fibres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cost analysis done for the project say that carbon fibre sells for around $15 per pound in the United States, and the team, which includes researchers from Penn State, the University of Virginia and Oak Ridge National Laboratory<\/a>, in collaboration with industry partners Solvay<\/a> and Oshkosh, wants to reduce that to $5 per pound by making changes to the complex production process. A lower production cost will increase carbon fibre\u2019s potential applications. Further, the team\u2019s research may lower the cost of producing other types of carbon fibres, some of which sell for up to $900 per pound today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Currently, most carbon fibres are produced from a polymer known as polyacrylonitrile, or PAN, and it is pretty costly. The price of PAN makes up about 50% of the production cost of carbon fibres.<\/p>Ma\u0142gorzata Kowalik, researcher in Penn State\u2019s Department of Mechanical Engineering<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

PAN is used to create 90% of carbon fibres found in the market today, but its production requires an enormous amount of energy. First, PAN fibres have to be heated to 200-300 degrees Celsius to oxidize them. Next, they must be heated to 1,200-1,600 degrees Celsius to transform the atoms into carbon. Finally, they have to be heated to 2,100 degrees Celsius so that the molecules are aligned properly. Without this series of steps, the resulting material would lack its needed strength and stiffness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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