Washington could become one of the world’s premier carbon fiber production locations because of the work of WSU researchers, who found that sugar can be used to create renewable carbon fiber.

Carbon fiber is made from a polymer used to create artificial fibers, called a polyacrylonitrile (PAN). Currently, the polymer is very expensive because it is obtained through a petroleum-based organic compound. A team of researchers at WSU has found an alternative process to create PAN which is much cheaper and more environmentally friendly.

The team, led by Michael Kessler, director and professor of the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, has discovered a way to use agricultural and forestry sugar feedstock to create PAN.

“By utilizing a bio-based form like sugar rather than a petrochemical form, the cost of carbon fiber productions goes down and less greenhouse gasses will be released through the production process,” said Jinwen Zhang, associate professor with the School of Mechanical and Materials engineering.

The project began in July 2015 and is expected to be complete by the end of June 2017, Zhang said. The group works with its industrial partner, IPCI, an Oregon-based research and development company specializing in bio-glycol technology.

The research team has created and designed a catalytic reactor that sparks the reaction which changes the sugar into the PAN product. Zhang said the process is fairly quick, about 10 seconds from beginning to end.

“The process that this research team has designed and engineered will eventually be scalable to an industrial size for developing the bio-based polyacrylonitrile product,” said postdoctoral researcher Chengyun Liu.

The technology could allow Washington to become one of the best locations to produce carbon fiber in the world, Liu said, and would also create new opportunities for biotech companies to expand their business.

Zhang expressed the importance of the concept that science is ever-evolving and that bio-based renewable sources are going to be very important for future industry usage.

“This research project is just another great example of how sugar can be manipulated and changed to many different types of chemicals that are so important,” Zhang said. “Through technology, the possibilities of finding uses for sugar are almost endless.”