GreenLight is a project jointly funded by the bio-based industry under the European Union's "Horizon 2020" research and innovation plan, and has completed the pilot scale process for producing lignin-based carbon fibers.
The purpose of the project is to show a new bio-based, renewable and economically viable carbon fiber precursor-lignin-produced in Europe from European raw materials and to develop conditions for processing into carbon fiber and structural carbon fiber composites. Gary Foster, senior project manager at Coventive Composites, explains, "Today's carbon fiber production is based on the use of petroleum-based raw materials, polyacrylonitrile (PAN). The process of starting the precursor and turning it into carbon fiber is expensive, and most of it used in Europe PAN is all imported. The automotive industry has identified the need for cheaper low-grade carbon fiber to meet the demand for components in ordinary consumer cars. Lignin from kraft pulp mills is a new, sustainable, rich and cost-effective new Potential carbon fiber precursor. "
The concept of the project is to develop a cost-effective bio-based carbon fiber for reinforcing composite materials that provides sufficient mechanical properties for high-volume automotive applications. Reducing vehicle weight is the decisive factor for the successful completion of the CO target2, emissions from the automotive industry. Carbon fiber reinforced plastics have been introduced as low weight materials that replace / supplement steel and aluminum. GreenLight has successfully developed a method for producing carbon fibers from pilot-scale lignin precursors. More detailed information on the project and its results, including project end leaflets and presentations, "Lignin-based carbon fiber: challenges in scaling up the process".
GreenLight has 9 project partners from 4 European countries, covering the entire value chain of lignin production. It is represented by research institute RISE and pulp producer S? Dra. The final use of carbon fiber materials in cars is made by car manufacturer Fiat CRF representative of the research department.
Project partners also include spinning specialists (FIBER and Fourné Machinenbau), molding of textile webs (RISE and STFI), and combinations of textile and plastic composites (Podcomp, Coventive Composites and RISE).