An Edmonton-based company is working toward its vision of unlocking the productive efficiency of carbon fibre.
Cumulating from seven years of innovation, Thread Innovations has developed patent-pending technology to produce carbon fibre from Alberta oil sands bitumen-based feedstocks.
Regarded as a strategic material in next-generation structure and design, carbon fibre can be significantly stronger than metals such as aluminum and steel, while also offering thermal and conductivity advantages.
However, currently most carbon fibre production is not energy-efficient. Consequently, government and startups alike are innovating the space to disrupt the global carbon fibre production and supply chain with sustainable impact.
This includes the Province of Alberta, which is motivated to utilize regional bitumen supplies to advance eco-friendly carbon fibre creation in Canada.
This desire is represented by the region’s Carbon Fibre Grand Challenge, which recently saw Alberta Innovates and Emissions Reduction Alberta fund projects across Western Canada.
“Carbon Fibre is a significant opportunity for Alberta to diversify our economy,” asserts Nate Glubish, who serves as Alberta’s Minister of Technology and Innovation. “Accelerating innovation in this field is the first step to unlocking enormous value for the benefit of all Albertans.”
“It takes more than good ideas to commercialize and deploy new technologies that reduce emissions and grow the economy,” adds Justin Riemer, chief executive of ERA.
Among 13 applicants, Thread received $1M from Alberta Innovates and $3M from ERA for a total of $4M in funding as chief technology officer Dr. Weixing Chen and his team look at proprietary ways to convert bitumen into high-value carbon fibre by using vacuum refinery residue-derived and asphaltenes-based precursors.
Tony Loria, board chair for Thread, describes the company as a “working example of how we can leverage our vast Alberta oil sands into innovative products that will drive Canada’s future.”
Other local recipients included Calgary’s Enlighten Innovations, who received a total of $2M, and Carbomat—also from Calgary—who received $3.8M.
Since being established in 2009, ERA has committed $887 million toward 254 projects worth $7.7 billion. Alberta Innovates manages 1,300 projects in a portfolio valued at $1.33 billion.
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