The University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research (UK CAER) welcomed almost 50 individuals to campus on December 5 to highlight the Center’s unique carbon fiber precursor spinning capabilities.
Called a “Demo Day,” the demonstration event provided those in industry, academia and government a chance to see how members of the Center’s Materials Technologies Group have established themselves as national and global leaders in this important and growing scientific field.
“It was a great opportunity for us to showcase the particular expertise we have in spinning carbon fiber precursor,” said Dr. Matthew Weisenberger, Associate Director for UK CAER’s Materials Technologies Group. “Lightweight carbon fiber composites hold such promise across a wide spectrum of manufacturing sectors, and we know carbon fiber is going to play an increasingly important role in advanced manufacturing.”
Central to manufacturing carbon fiber is understanding precursor fiber processing. UK CAER is home to the largest precursor fiber solution-spinline at any university in North America. And, as Dr. Weisenberger contends, with so few research laboratories with precursor spinning capabilities, UK CAER is well-positioned to help add great value to the industrial and scientific communities in the years ahead.
“You can’t make good carbon fiber without good precursor fiber,” says Weisenberger. “In order to know what makes a good precursor fiber, you have to study it and you must have data – particularly regarding its dynamic processing. That is where our team can add value to manufacturers and others involved in the carbon fiber industry. We have the data, and we are constantly involved in new and innovative research projects.”
UK CAER’s Spinline Demo Day was developed in collaboration with the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI), a public-private partnership creating clean energy solutions and catalyzing manufacturing competitiveness across the U.S. advanced composite ecosystem. UK CAER is a founding member organization of IACMI.
For more information please contact: David Melanson, Assistant Director of External Affairs and Development at UK CAER.
