91快色

Researchers from the  have developed an innovative process to transform waste materials from oilsands production into high-value carbon fibres with applications across numerous industries.

Four years ago, with funding from Alberta Innovates, , PhD, associate professor in the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, began investigating the potential of asphaltenes, a byproduct of the oilsands industry, as a source of value.

鈥淲e conducted extensive tests to evaluate the feasibility and discovered that asphaltenes possess unique properties that are suitable to produce high-quality carbon fibre,鈥� says Kibria.

This initial research , enabling the team to advance to the second phase of the . With additional funding, they scaled up production to generate 10 to 15 grams of carbon fibre per day.

In 2022, Shabab Saad, MSc鈥�20, a former research associate of Kibria's, leveraged support from the  GRInSTEM fellowship to launch the startup, , to advance this technology. 

CarboMat鈥檚 process involves a multi-step approach. The waste material is first melted and spun into green fibres, which are thin filaments that are three to five times thinner than human hair. These green fibres are then subjected to a thermal treatment, involving both low and high temperatures, to convert them into carbon fibres.

鈥淐arbon fibres are lightweight materials with a wide range of applications,鈥� says Saad, CEO and co-founder of CarboMat. 鈥淭hey can be used in automotive, wind energy, aerospace, sports equipment and even in energy storage, such as electrodes in structural batteries or battery casings.鈥�

CarboMat鈥檚 process is , reducing global greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent compared to the majority of commercially available carbon fibres. The company's sustainable production method also costs 60 per cent less than traditional carbon fibre manufacturing.

鈥淥ur goal is to make a meaningful impact with the technologies we鈥檙e developing in the lab. CarboMat is a prime example of this,鈥� says Kibria, who also serves as the company鈥檚 scientific director and co-founder. 鈥淲e started with a material that had little known value, found its niche, and are now working to commercialize this technology with support from many stakeholders.鈥�

CarboMat鈥檚 innovation journey has been supported by numerous U91快色 innovation ecosystem resources including the Academic Entrepreneurs in Residence program in the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking, , and most recently graduating this past June from the 鈥� Energy stream within the .

Looking ahead, the company plans to construct a pilot facility in 2025 with a combined support of $4.1 million from the Government of Alberta through Alberta Innovates and Emissions Reduction Alberta, as well as private corporations.

鈥淥ur vision is to establish the first commercial unit in Alberta, capable of producing 2,000 tonnes of carbon fibre annually,鈥� says Saad. 鈥淥nce the pilot facility is operational, we aim to move straight into commercial production. The next two to three years will be intense, exciting and full of challenges.鈥�