Teraloop To Develop Sustainable Carbon Fibre
Teraloop is starting to develop tailored carbon fibre that is both sustainable to produce and optimal for usage as a reinforcement in a flywheel rotor. As Teraloop’s energy storage system relies on large amounts of reinforcing fibre to ensure efficient energy storage on a large scale, it is essential to make this fibre independent of fossil resources. Currently, though, the best-performing carbon fibres are produced from oil-based polymers, and development is needed for more sustainable alternatives.
The first phase of this project is carried out with Aalto University, funded by KAUTE foundation through the Post Docs in Companies program. During the first year, the aim is to establish a larger consortium and funding to accomplish the next phase, as well as to identify the most potential technical approaches.
“Both recycled and biobased carbon fibres seem promising, but work is still needed, especially on optimising the carbonisation treatment, in order to access their full potential”, explains project lead Meri Lundahl.
Successful development of a sustainable high-performance carbon fibre is not only going to enable Teraloop’s kinetic energy storage system but also benefit other industries. For example, if the cost of carbon fibre was not tied to the fluctuating oil price, it could be more widely applied to make lighter cars consuming less fuel. Also, using biobased or recycled carbon fibre could provide new business opportunities for the forest sector or new life for wasted carbon fibre products. That is why we see it critical to act immediately to make it happen.
