The University of Kentucky Applied Energy Research Center (CAER) has received funding from the United States Department of Energy (DOE) to support the center ’s coal tar pitch-based carbon fiber and its use in aviation, automobiles, sports equipment and other high-end Applied research in the field of performance materials. The total investment of the project is 1.8 million US dollars. In addition to the funding from DOE, other costs are borne by enterprises and universities.
CAER researchers converted coal tar (a by-product from coke production in the iron and steel industry) into mesophase pitch (that is, liquid crystal phase pitch), which was then spun into silk and subjected to high temperature treatment to make carbon fiber. The University of Kentucky said that if the project is successful, this new type of asphalt-based carbon fiber can increase the current value of coal tar pitch by 5-55 times, and can be used in passenger cars, light trucks and other high stiffness, lightweight composite materials field.
This funding will support the development of a multi-filament melt spinning process for mesophase pitch-based carbon fiber strands and its continuous pre-oxidation and carbonization process. The CAER team will then use the fabric preform of the fiber to produce composite products and develop chopped carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites for injection molding.
The project will be completed by CAER researchers and collaborators from American Koppers and Materials Science.
The University of Kentucky called its Applied Energy Research Center CAER the location of the largest carbon fiber production facility in North American academic institutions. The main innovations in carbon fiber research and development at the institution include lightweight automotive projects such as hollow carbon fiber research for in-vehicle high-pressure hydrogen storage cylinders.