Posted June 13, 2017

 

By Seshadri Ramkumar

 

BENGALURU, India – Australian scientists have developed an improved carbon fiber manufacturing process that could result in lower cost carbon fibers.

 

Maxime Maghe and Steve Atkiss, associated with Deakin University’s Carbon Nexus, have invented a process that reduces energy with carbon fiber manufacturing by 75 percent and speeds up the production process.

 

Deakin University has licensed the technology to LeMond Composites, founded by Greg LeMond, three-time Tour de France champion. “Technology developed by Carbon Nexus will feed the world with low-cost carbon fiber,” LeMond said.

 

There is a plan to have a carbon fiber manufacturing plant in Geelong, Australia, with investment from LeMond Composites. Furnace Engineering of Victoria, Australia will be supplying machinery for this venture.

 

The licensing agreement between Carbon Nexus and LeMond Composites is first of its kind from Carbon Nexus, according to Derek Buckmaster, director of Carbon Nexus.

 

Carbon Nexus was formed at Deakin in 2014 with investments from the Australian government, local and state agencies and Deakin University.

 

LeMond was the first cyclist to win Tour de France using carbon fiber bike.

 

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

Deakin University licenses lower-cost carbon fiber to cyclist Greg LeMond