Abstract
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and GrafTech International Holdings Inc. (GrafTech) have collaborated to develop and demonstrate the performance of high temperature thermal insulation prototypes made from lignin-based carbon fibers (LBCF). This was the first reported production of LBCF or resulting products at scale > 1 kg. The results will potentially lead to the first commercial application of LBCF. The goal of the commercial application is to replace expensive, foreign-sourced isotropic pitch carbon fibers with lower cost carbon fibers made from a domestically sourced, bio-derived (renewable) feedstock. LBCF can help resolve supply chain vulnerability and reduce the production cost for high temperature thermal insulation as well as create US jobs.
The performance of the LBCF prototypes was measured and found to be comparable to that of the current commercial product. During production of the insulation prototypes, the project team demonstrated lignin compounding/pelletization, fiber production, heat treatment, and compositing at scales far surpassing those previously demonstrated in LBCF R&D or production.
