Clean technology initiative aims to turn oil sands bitumen into high-tech carbon fibre

Alberta Innovates has launched a $15-million international competition to accelerate development of carbon fibre from oil sands bitumen.

The new Carbon Fibre Grand Challenge is part of a broader initiative called Bitumen Beyond Combustion, to advance the development of non-combustion products and production technologies derived from Alberta bitumen.

The initiative “has the potential to shift the oil sands industry toward value creation and significantly enhance sustainability in a low-carbon emission economy,” John Zhou, Alberta Innovates’ vice-president, clean resources, said in a statement.

The Carbon Fibre Grand Challenge is directed toward funding technologies and projects that can convert bitumen or asphaltenes into carbon fibre. (Asphaltenes are organic molecules found in bitumen and commonly used in asphalt). The high strength and stiffness of lightweight carbon fibre offers advantages over traditional materials like steel and plastic that are used in the transportation, infrastructure, construction and consumer product sectors.

The global carbon fibre market was about US$4.7 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach US$7.8 billion by 2024, according to a report in October. Eventually, more than 100,000 barrels of bitumen could be used daily to produce carbon fibre, Alberta Innovates says.

Competitors will receive asphaltene from a sample bank operated by InnoTech Alberta, a subsidiary of Alberta Innovates. Alberta Innovates will award three grand prizes of $3 million to the winners, who’ll be required to produce more than 10 kilograms of carbon fibre per day, with a clear path to scale production to more than 240 tonnes per day.

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