Making carbon fibre usually requires massive amounts of heat, like running a giant, energy-hungry oven. This project uses microwave and plasma technology to heat the materials much more efficiently, similar to how a microwave oven heats food faster than a traditional stove. By changing how the heat is applied, they can make this high-strength material cheaper and greener.
Carbon fibre production is currently too expensive and energy-intensive for mass-market use, requiring 100–900 MJ per kg. This limits its application to only high-end, expensive products.
A continuous production process using atmospheric plasma for stabilization and susceptor-induced microwave heating to convert PAN to carbon fibre.
If you are a blade manufacturer dealing with the high cost of lightweight materials — this project developed a low-energy production method for carbon fibre that reduces production costs and carbon emissions. This allows for the creation of more efficient, lightweight wind turbines.
If you are an EV producer dealing with the need for lighter vehicles to increase battery range — this project developed a way to produce carbon fibre using microwave absorption. This lowers the cost barrier for using carbon fibre reinforced polymers in mass-market electric vehicles.
If you are a construction supplier dealing with energy-intensive material costs — this project developed a continuous production process for carbon fibre at TRL 6. This enables the use of high-strength, energy-efficient materials in building structures.
The project aims to drastically reduce production costs by replacing conventional heating, which currently consumes 100–900 MJ per kg of carbon fibre produced.
The project is developing a continuous production process designed to reach Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6.
Based on available project data, the project focuses on developing a radically new susceptor induced microwave heating technology and atmospheric plasma heating, though specific licensing terms are not listed.
The project period runs from 2025-01-01 to 2028-12-31, suggesting the TRL 6 target will be reached by the end of 2028.
The project specifically targets the conversion of stabilised poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN) to carbon fibre in a continuous production process.
The consortium is well-balanced for commercialization, featuring a 44% industry ratio with 4 industrial partners and 3 SMEs. With 9 partners across 5 European countries (DE, ES, FR, IE, IT), the project combines academic research from 2 universities and 3 research centers with direct industrial application, increasing the likelihood of successful market entry.
Contact the University of Limerick research office regarding the CARBOWAVE project.
Contact SciTransfer to connect with the CARBOWAVE consortium for early adoption pilots.
