Lignol to Provide Lignin for Carbon Fiber

This contract, in which Lignol will receive US$304,437 over a three-year period, relates to a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) award to ORNL of US$1 million, to develop a proof-of-concept for the production of industrial-grade carbon fiber from lignin.

"This agreement represents an important opportunity to work with Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the development of what could become an important market application for the unique forms of lignin that our biorefining technology produces," said Ross MacLachlan, President and CEO of Lignol. "This project is an extension of successful work performed several years ago by ORNL using lignin produced with the technology subsequently acquired by Lignol."

Carbon fibers are used in most lightweight composite materials where they serve to stiffen and strengthen the material, reduce vehicle weight, enhancing performance, and fuel efficiency. Carbon fibers are currently expensive to make from raw materials obtained from crude oil.