Posted February 22, 2017

 

By Seshadri Ramkumar

 

LUBBOCK, Texas – For the first time, Australia will have the capacity to produce carbon fibers at scaled-up level.

 

A wet-spinning line has been installed in Waurn Pounds, Australia, that will enable a research group to carry out carbon fiber research starting from molecules to fully finished components.

 

Dr. Anita Hill, director of Future Industries at Australia’s premier research organization, CSIRO, said that the carbon fiber research capability could disrupt the carbon fiber industry.

 

Using the CSIRO-patented carbon fiber technology, the carbon fiber facility will help Australia develop next-generation, high-performance carbon fibers.

 

In praising the industry/academia partnership, Prof. Jane den Hollander, vice chancellor of Deakin University, said that Australia would benefit with the collaboration.

 

The wet-spinning capability develops strands of thin fibers thinner than human hair, which are then carbonized. According to CSIRO, an Italian company, with research inputs from Deakin and CSIRO researchers, built the wet-spinning line.

 

CSIRO has had longstanding research reputation in the field of fibers and textiles. Deakin University in recent times has been extremely active in fiber research focusing on high-performance and next-generation fibrous materials.

 

Dr. Seshadri Ramkumar, Ph.D, FTA (honorary), is a professor at the Nonwovens & Advanced Materials Laboratory at Texas Tech.