Latis Receives U.S. National Science Foundation Award to Advance Carbon Fiber Manufacturing

Latis is pleased to participate in a new project supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation and led by Iowa State University, that aims to make high-performance carbon fiber more affordable, sustainable and accessible for widespread commercial use.

Funded through NSF’s Translation to Practice program under Award No. 2612989, the project will advance an innovative process developed at Iowa State University for converting lignin (an abundant byproduct of the pulp and paper industry) into carbon fiber.

Carbon fiber is prized for its exceptional strength-to-weight ratio and durability. It can help improve vehicle fuel efficiency, increase the performance of wind turbines, strengthen infrastructure and enable advances in aerospace, energy storage, pressure vessels and sporting equipment. Its high manufacturing cost, however, has largely limited its use to premium applications. However, most carbon fiber is currently made using expensive petroleum-based precursors, limiting adoption for cost-constrained industries. 

The technology could lower carbon-fiber manufacturing costs, strengthen the domestic supply of an important structural material and create a valuable new market for the rural pulp and paper sector.

The project will move the technology beyond batch-scale laboratory demonstrations and toward a continuous manufacturing platform suitable for commercial production.

Working with Harper International, Iowa State University, and UMaine's Advanced Strucutres and Composites Center, the project aims to:

• Demonstrate a continuous production process for lignin-based carbon fiber.
• Design and evaluate prototype composite materials.
• Test the consistency and performance of the resulting fibers in composites.
• Conduct techno-economic analyses to evaluate commercial viability.
• Build a network of manufacturers, suppliers and potential customers.
• Provide undergraduate and graduate students with hands-on experience in technology commercialization and entrepreneurship.
  
• Supporting domestic manufacturing and rural economies. 

Beyond its technical promise, the project could deliver broad economic benefits. Converting an underused industrial byproduct into a high-value manufacturing feedstock could create an additional revenue stream for pulp and paper producers, including businesses and communities in rural areas.

A commercially viable process would also help establish a reliable domestic supply of carbon fiber while reducing dependence on petroleum-derived materials. These benefits could strengthen U.S. manufacturing capacity and economic competitiveness while expanding access to lightweight, high-performance materials.

Learn more about NSF Award No. 2612989.