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DOE to award up to $12M for technologies to produce renewable carbon fiber from biomass

Green Car Congress

The US Department of Energy (DOE) will award ( DE-FOA-0000996 ) up to $12 million in funding to advance the development of a cost-competitive pathway to produce high-performance carbon fiber for vehicle lightweighting from renewable non-food biomass. Reducing a vehicle’s weight by just 10% can improve fuel economy by 6% to 8%.

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Lux forecasts global market for carbon fiber composites to more than double to $36B in 2020; aerospace and wind to lead

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As innovative new production technologies lower carbon fiber cost, the global market for carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRPs) will more than double to $36 billion in 2020, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 13% from $14.6 billion in 2012, according to a new Lux Research report. kg today to $10.5/kg

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NREL develops novel method to produce renewable acrylonitrile; carbon fibers from renewable biomass

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Today, acrylonitrile is used in the production of acrylic fibers for carpets, clothes, and fabrics, and in plastics such as food containers, and packaging materials. Propylene price volatility and environmental sustainability have motivated a search for alternative pathways using bio-derived feedstocks such as glycerol and glutamic acid.

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Vitesse AuDessus introduces line of one-piece carbon-fiber wheels

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US bespoke carbon fiber workshop Vitesse AuDessus has introduced a line of one-piece, full carbon-fiber wheels. Vitesse AuDessus employs this same process for its full range of bespoke carbon fiber exteriors, interiors, components and monocoques.

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Lux: carbon fiber to go mainstream in automobiles by 2025

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Driven by a faster-than-expected pace of technology development, carbon-fiber reinforced plastics (CFRPs) will be poised to gain widespread adoption for automotive lightweighting by 2025, according to a new report from Lux Research, “Scaling Up Carbon Fiber: Roadmap to Automotive Adoption.”. Earlier post.)

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NREL plant-based epoxy enables recyclable carbon fiber; more cost-effective, lower GHG footprint

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Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have shown that making carbon fiber composites with bio-based epoxies and an anhydride hardener makes the material fully recyclable by introducing linkages that are more easily degraded. Synthesizing carbon fiber involves temperatures of more than 1,000 °C.

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Wirtschafts Woche: VW to make 250 XL1s, priced at $145,000 each

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Germany’s Wirtschafts Woche reports that Volkswagen will produce 250 units of its ultra-efficient XL1 diesel plug-in hybrid ( earlier post ), and price them at €111,000 (US$145,000). The lightweight XL1 (795 kg, 1,753 lbs) delivers NEDC fuel consumption of 261 mpg (0.9 In all-electric mode, the XL1 requires less than 0.1

Price 277