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NREL plant-based epoxy enables recyclable carbon fiber; more cost-effective, lower GHG footprint

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Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have shown that making carbon fiber composites with bio-based epoxies and an anhydride hardener makes the material fully recyclable by introducing linkages that are more easily degraded. Synthesizing carbon fiber involves temperatures of more than 1,000 °C.

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New IACMI collaboration to develop advanced carbon fiber for hydrogen, natural gas storage tanks; $2.7M DOE award

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million from the US Department of Energy (DOE) to develop and validate technology that will reduce the cost of manufacturing high-performance carbon fiber by 25% to make composite natural gas or hydrogen fuel tanks to power cars and trucks. The Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI) will receive $2.7

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LeMond Carbon obtains independent verification of its carbon fiber rapid oxidation technology

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LeMond Carbon announced the results of an independent technical audit conducted by Bureau Veritas (BV) of its carbon fiber manufacturing process. The audit was conducted on a pilot line at Deakin University’s Carbon Nexus facility in Geelong, Australia. This is a significant milestone for our company.

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Canadian startup launches INDIEGOGO funding campaign for low-cost electric self-charging solar tricycle produced in Pakistan

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The team projects that the high-efficiency vehicle will have a a minimum unit cost of only $1,400 to produce—the price of an average mountain bike—once the funding goal is reached. The VEGAN is a lightweight multipurpose hybrid electric-self-charging solar tricycle. The team has not yet produced a working demo for their concept.

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NASA to fly payload with SpinLaunch’s mass accelerator to test low-cost, high-cadence kinetic launch system

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Ultimately, SpinLaunch’s Orbital Accelerator will accelerate a launch vehicle containing a satellite up to 5,000 miles per hour using a rotating carbon-fiber-arm within a 300-ft diameter steel vacuum chamber. After full review, NASA and SpinLaunch will publish all non-proprietary launch environment information from the test flight.

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U Kentucky CAER receives $1M for carbon fiber research

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Department of Energy (DOE) grant to continue their research in developing low-cost, high-strength carbon fiber. The funding was part of DOE’s strategy to invest in discovery and development of novel, low-cost materials necessary for hydrogen storage and for fuel cells onboard light-duty vehicles.

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ORNL exclusively licenses plasma processing technology for carbon fiber production to RMX Technologies; 75% less energy, 20% lower cost

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RMX Technologies and the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have signed an exclusive licensing agreement for a new technology that significantly reduces the time and energy needed in the production of carbon fiber. Oxidation is the most time-consuming phase of the multistep carbon fiber conversion process.