DBU to Showcase New Carbon Fiber Technologies at Congress

The German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU) will present two projects focused on more environmentally friendly carbon fiber production and recycling at the KONGRESS BW 2026 event in Heidelberg on October 22, 2026. The congress addresses industrial climate protection, resource efficiency, and the circular economy.

The DBU's presentations highlight efforts to develop more energy-efficient and lower-emission methods for manufacturing carbon fiber composites and recycling them. Current carbon fiber production methods are energy-intensive and often rely on petroleum-based raw materials. The objective is to find solutions that reduce energy consumption, conserve resources, and enable high-quality recycling.

One presented project, conducted by FH Aachen (IMP), investigates the use of GHz plasma technology for carbon fiber production. This method significantly reduces energy consumption and eliminates the use of harmful solvents, which were previously typical in the manufacturing of polyacrylonitrile fibers. The initial phase of the project successfully reduced energy consumption by 80 percent, and a second phase has adapted the process for carbonization.

Another project, developed by Wagenfelder Spinnereien GmbH, focuses on utilizing recycled carbon fibers. Currently, recycled carbon fibers are often used in lower-value applications. This project develops a hybrid yarn combining recycled carbon fibers with polyamide. The goal is to produce complex, high-performance components that can be reused at least three times. Each recycling cycle can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 68 percent compared to the production of new carbon fibers.

The DBU supports innovative, exemplary, and practice-oriented environmental projects. KONGRESS BW 2026 takes place in Heidelberg from October 21-22, 2026, with the DBU's carbon fiber forum scheduled for October 22 between 11:15 AM and 12:15 PM.