Focus on "green" carbon fibers

Chemnitz University of Technology is set to take on a global leadership role in the research of "green" carbon fibers and the development of a value chain for carbon materials. In 2022, the university received a grant of 5.87 million euros from the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA) to set up and expand the "Carbon LabFactory" as a branch of Chemnitz University of Technology in Boxberg/O.L. The funds were provided by the federal government as part of the "Strengthening transformation dynamics and new beginnings in coal mining areas and at coal-fired power plant sites" (STARK) program, which supports the transformation process towards an innovative economic structure in coal regions.

The project is based at the Chair of Lightweight Structures / Plastics Processing at Chemnitz University of Technology. In addition to Chemnitz University of Technology, the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research (IAP) in Potsdam is also involved. As part of the "Carbon LabFactory" and the "InnoCarbEnergy" project, the entire value chain from raw material extraction and processing to materials and processes through to structures and systems on a pilot line scale is being researched in a cross-state collaboration. Thanks to this innovative profile, Chemnitz University of Technology and its new branch office are among the global pioneers; comparable facilities only exist in the USA and Australia.

The "Carbon LabFactory" as a branch of Chemnitz University of Technology in Boxberg/Upper Lusatia sees itself as a nucleus for the establishment of companies in Lusatia in order to sustainably shape the climate-friendly transformation of the region from the coal industry to a self-sustaining bioeconomy on the basis of future-oriented lightweight construction technologies together with the economy. The project team has set itself the goal of breaking new ground for the lightweight structures and products of the future and developing downstream processes to market maturity in accompanying collaborations and projects.

As the industrial production of carbon fibers has so far been based primarily on petrochemical base materials and energy-intensive processes, alternative approaches based on renewable raw materials, such as cellulose, in combination with renewable energies, such as solar power and "green" hydrogen, are also to be researched and tested using technology demonstrators. The findings on "green" carbon fibers gained in numerous basic studies - primarily as part of the MERGE lightweight construction research cluster based at Chemnitz University of Technology - are being transferred to applications. The focus is primarily on technical textiles, plastics processing and carbon fiber-intensive technologies.

In addition to federal funding, investment of around 60 million euros has been earmarked for equipment and building infrastructure to establish the "Carbon LabFactory" by 2026.