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Firefly launches world’s largest carbon fiber rocket into orbit on second try

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After weeks of delays and three aborted launch attempts on September 11th, 12th, and 30th, the second carbon-fiber Alpha rocket lifted off from its Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) SLC-2W launch pad at 12:01 am PDT (07:01 UTC) on October 1st. Alpha is the largest all-carbon-fiber rocket ever built. It stands 29.5

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DOE announces Stage 1 CABLE Conductor Manufacturing Prize Winners

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The Clean Carbon Conductors team, with members from Rice University and DexMat Co, is designing enhanced-conductivity CNTs by improving fiber quality, alignment, packing density, and by electrochemically doping the CNTs. Each winning team has earned a $25,000 cash prize and a stipend for third-party conductivity testing in Stage 2.

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DOE awards Texas A&M AgriLife Research $2.2M to investigate ways to market bio waste from biofuel refineries

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million grant to researchers at Texas A&M AgriLife Research to investigate potential discoveries for waste products used in lignocellulosic biofuel production, turning them into valuable agents used in producing commercial products such as biodiesel and asphalt binding agents. The US Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded a $2.2-million

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Tesla Model 3 fleet chosen as new law enforcement vehicle in Texas county

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A fleet of Tesla Model 3s will now be the patrol vehicles for Dallas County, Texas, law enforcement officers. The vehicle is also the only Model 3 trim to come with Performance Brakes, 20″ Überturbine Wheels, a Carbon Fiber Spoiler, and Aluminum Alloy Pedals. Current delivery timeframes sit between June and August 2022.

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DOE awards $19M to 13 initiatives in fossil-fuel areas to produce rare earth elements and critical minerals

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Williston Basin (Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota): University of North Dakota plans to lead a coalition to drive the expansion and transformation of coal and coal-based resource usage within the Williston Basin to extract rare earth elements and critical minerals and produce non-fuel carbon-based products. DOE Funding: $1,500,000.

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DOE launches Clean Energy Manufacturing Initiative; awards $23.5M to 5 more manufacturing R&D projects

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The CEMI announcement was made at the ribbon cutting of the Department’s Carbon Fiber Technology Facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, a new advanced manufacturing facility to reduce the cost of carbon fiber. University of Texas at Austin. Carbon Fiber Technology Facility. Earlier post.)

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DOE awarding $19.4M to 22 advanced vehicle technologies projects; Mercedes-Benz, GM Li-S battery projects

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Two projects will research, develop, and use integrated computation materials engineering (ICME) techniques to develop low cost carbon fiber from a variety of feedstocks and precursors that can be used to make carbon fiber with less energy and lower cost. Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station. Lead organization.