Carbon Fibre Grand Challenge

Deadline: 2020-04-07
Award: $15,000,000 CAD
Open to: Companies, Institutions, Labs*

The Carbon Fibre Grand Challenge is a $15 million international competition to accelerate the production of carbon fibre from bitumen-derived asphaltenes . The Carbon Fibre Grand Challenge is part of the broader “Bitumen Beyond Combustion” initiative by Alberta Innovates to further the development of non-combustion products and their production technologies, derived from bitumen contained in Alberta’s oil sands, which are among the world’s largest hydrocarbon resources with proven reserves of approximately 170 billion barrels.

The Carbon Fibre Grand Challenge is directed towards funding technologies and projects that can convert Alberta bitumen or asphaltenes derived from Alberta bitumen into carbon fibres. Carbon fibre’s high strength and stiffness make composite materials that incorporate carbon fibres functionally superior to many conventional materials for use in the transportation, infrastructure, construction and consumer product sectors.The Carbon Fibre Grand Challenge is directed towards funding technologies and projects that can convert bitumen or asphaltenes into carbon fibres.