Uncovering the synergistic effects between cellulose and lignin for advanced forest-based carbon fibers

Carbon fibers made completely from biobased material with a low climate impact is an area of research that have seen significant breakthroughs during the last years. Forest-based carbon fibers from certified forests have a high value and potential to stimulate new value chains in the area of light-weight composites, making it possible to use carbon fiber reinforced composites in new business areas, e.g. the transport sector (which in turn can reduce fuel consumption, increase the range of electric vehicles etc.), turbine blades for wind mills, and for sports and leisure.In Sweden and Finland both, research, and expertise to produce high-quality cellulose-lignin filaments through solution spinning have been built-up individually. By funneling the activities into one Nordic carbon fiber research hub, the development in both countries will be accelerated substantially. In addition, the proposed project will initiate new collaborations and activities with stakeholders and end- users further down the value chain.The aim of the project is to dig into fundamental research questions to deepen the understanding on how variations in the raw materials affect the fibers and the conversion, and how the process, and consequently the carbon fibers, can be further optimized. A special focus will be on unravelling interesting synergetic effects of combining cellulose and lignin. For example, it has been observed that a combination of cellulose and lignin have beneficial effects. These synergetic effects are very poorly understood and not explored to date.