Carbon Nexus has increased its research and production capabilities with the installation of the only polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursor wet spinning line in the Southern Hemisphere.
Jointly owned and operated by Carbon Nexus and CSIRO, the wet spinning line completes Carbon Nexus’ value chain, allowing it to offer R&D services from precursor development to white fibre spinning, to carbon fibre production and composite manufacturing.
“With the installation of the wet spinning line and the 3D printers, our capability to conduct research across all the stages of carbon fibre production is enhanced beyond our current bench-top capabilities,” says Prof Russell Varley.
The wet spinning line was custom built by an Italian company with input from Deakin and CSIRO researchers.The company liked the design so much it made another for its own factory and the the CSIRO/ Deakin machine has been described as “the Ferrari of wet spinning lines”.
Assistant Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science the Honourable Craig Laundy MP officially launched the facility.
Caption: CSIRO’s Dr Anita Hill, Member for Corangamite Sarah Henderson, Minister Craig Laundy, CSIRO’s Keith McLean, Prof Jane den Hollander and Carbon Nexus chair Simon Crean officially open the wet spinning line.