Lignin carbon fibres: Properties, applications and economic efficiency

Abstract

Lignin carbon fibres are cheaper than carbon fibres from petroleum sources, but they are yet to meet the required performance for automotive applications. They supersede petroleum-based carbon fibres in terms of cost, lightweight, environmentally sustainability, availability and renewability. It is evident that the performance of lignin carbon fibres depends on their sources (e.g. biomass type) and processing/treatments. To enhance the application of these fibres, there is need for in-depth understanding of the evolution of their properties considering their sources, extraction methods, and further processing. On the other hand, it is important to understand the driving factors in the economic efficiency of the carbon fibres. This will guide researchers and industrialists in the search for high performance lignin carbon fibres with acceptable economic efficiency.