#Yarn & Fiber
New research center for carbon fibers from Saxony
The RCCF will combine and expand on the research carried out by the two institutes to date. Participating researchers will study both fossil and renewable materials as potential base products and develop carbon fibers for new functionalized materials. Particular emphasis will be placed on the application of newly developed fibers in novel structural and functionalized materials, with research findings to be transferred directly into taught content at TU Dresden. Both institutes also attach significant importance to the transfer of new insights to industrial applications.
The arrival of Prof. Hubert Jäger in 2014 saw TU Dresden gain an expert of international standing in the field of carbon fibers and fiber composite technologies. He and his colleagues at the ILK conduct high-quality research aimed at the development of novel carbon fibers based on polymeric and renewable materials. Prof. Jäger is able to draw on 28 years of industrial experience at the SGL Group, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of carbon products and materials. As holder of the Chair of Lightweight Systems Engineering and Multi Material Design at TU Dresden he now heads research into carbon fibers for applications in the automotive, mechanical engineering and plant construction sectors as well as future-oriented solutions for the construction industry.
One of the center’s first important milestones is the commissioning of a carbon fiber production plant which will enable the Dresden-based scientists to produce carbon fibers with a variety of mechanical properties. Amongst other benefits, the plant will allow them to identify parameters at laboratory scale for later application to industrial-scale production facilities. The carbon fiber production plant is due to be commissioned in June 2016 on the occasion of the 20th Dresden International Lightweight Engineering Symposium.
Modern precursor fiber production facilities have already been installed at the ITM. Prof. Chokri Cherif, Director of the ITM and Professor of Textile Technology at TU Dresden, sees a bright future for the new research center: “The establishment of the RCCF and the commissioning of the carbon fiber production plant herald the start of a new, intensified phase of both fundamental and applied research into carbon fibers. We look forward to setting new benchmarks in the field of carbon fiber development and gaining insights which will resonate around the world.”
