How a Calgary startup is making carbon fibre cheaper and cleaner

Carbon fibres, and carbon fibre-reinforced materials are integral to much of what we use in daily life, from the tripod you set your camera on to take a family photo to the golf clubs you use at the driving range, from bicycles to airplanes.

Despite the public’s insatiable appetite for the material, the carbon fibre industry has two main challenges with commercial fibres: a high production cost and high greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

From Bitumen By-Product to High-Value Fibre

At the University of Calgary, Shabab Saad worked as a research assistant with Dr. Md Kirbria, an associate professor in the department of chemical and petroleum engineering at the University of Calgary. Their project was a proof-of-concept exercise examining the transformation of Alberta bitumen by-products into high-value carbon fibres. A success, they later developed a prototype unit that can consistently produce carbon fibres derived from Alberta bitumen by-products.

“One of the outcomes of our extensive research identified that the high production cost is one of the biggest challenges of the carbon fibre industry, and if there is a way to mitigate that, then there is a clear path towards broader adoption of carbon fibres in various multi-billion-dollar industries including automotive, aerospace, sports, energy and infrastructure,” said Saad. In response, he founded CarboMat in 2022 to continue the research work, address these major challenges and advance the technology in real-world applications.

The Market Case: Carbon Fibre’s Role in Cutting Transportation Emissions

Currently, the production cost of commercial carbon fibres – both polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and pitch-based – ranges anywhere from $20 to $200 per kilogram, depending on the materials used, processing conditions and the grade of fibre. Similarly, the overall GHG emissions footprint are at least greater than15-20 kg CO2-eq/kg CF as per publicly available reports. “Through utilization of low-value bitumen by-products as feedstock materials, CarboMat’s proprietary technology is able to reduce the overall production cost and carbon footprint of carbon fibres by up to 60% and 50%, respectively,” Saad explained.

For the automotive industry alone, the impact could be significant. Data from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change shows that approximately 23% of all GHG emissions comes from road transportation. To address this, fuel efficiency must be improved, and vehicle weight is a significant part of that.

Mitacs Funding Builds the Team Behind the Technology

One of the sources of funding for this work is Mitacs and the Accelerate and Elevate programs. “Canada lacks the expertise in carbon fibre science, which is critical for the success and growth of CarboMat,” Saad said. “Through Mitacs funding and internships, we have been able to hire students and post-doctoral fellows with relevant background in materials science, polymer engineering, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, textile, chemistry and physics.”

Their work has helped CarboMat build in-house expertise through the development of a variety of products, design of the company’s first 1 tonne/year (TPA) pilot facility, and enrich their IP further. “We anticipate that these interns will eventually be full-time employees of the company and CarboMat will be able to retain the expertise and skill set that we have developed from scratch with the support from Mitacs,” he added – skills essential for commercializing the company’s technology.

To date, the company’s innovative carbon fibres are direct replacements for many of the commercial-grade fibres already in use in several different applications – primarily automotive, braking systems, printing rollers, sports, space and defence. “In the near future, we will be exploring applications in wind energy, data centres and energy infrastructure as well,” Saad said.

“At such an early stage, startups like CarboMat have limited resources,” he added. “Therefore, the support from Mitacs has helped us build a fantastic technical team heavily focused on transitioning the technology from pilot to commercial application.”

“The impact of Mitacs on CarboMat has been instrumental. Without the support and funding from Mitacs, it would have been very difficult for CarboMat to build our product portfolio, scale our technology from bench to pilot, and develop a certain set of skills needed for continuous improvement of our technology.”

– Shabab Saad, CEO and founder, CarboMat

About Mitacs

Mitacs delivers the return on innovation Canada needs now by connecting big ideas, people, and ambition to turn potential into results. Mitacs co-funds innovation partnerships that get Canada’s businesses and researchers where they need to go.

Mitacs partners innovate faster. Commercialize sooner. Compete globally. Scale and grow stronger. We open the door to opportunity, creating jobs and equipping students and postdoctoral researchers with skills, industry experience, and professional networks.

A not-for-profit organization founded in 2001, Mitacs is funded by the Government of Canada, the Government of Alberta, the Government of British Columbia, Research Manitoba, the Government of New Brunswick, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Government of Nova Scotia, the Government of Ontario, Innovation PEI, the Government of Quebec, the Government of Saskatchewan, and the Government of Yukon.